She Don't Want the World
by Through the Mirror Darkly
Summary: Elizabeth is trying to move forward after the Nurses Ball, but the future seems so distant when the past keeps pulling her back.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital. This is for amusement purposes only, and I hope that you all enjoy. :D

Summary: Elizabeth Webber is trying to move forward with her life after the Nurses Ball, but the future seems so distant when the past is so determined to keep pulling her back.

Pairings: Mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

 **Alternative History:** This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

 **Warnings:** This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. Also this isn't romance heavy, so don't expect much of that. It's more of a drama-focused on that, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be mentions of past romances or ongoing romances, but they aren't the centerpiece here.

This is a full length story by the way, but it will say "complete" until I finish writing the rest of it. When I start adding chapters, I'll change the complete to incomplete.

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SHE DON'T WANT THE WORLD

 **By ThroughtheMirrorDarkly**

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Chapter One

"Letting Go of the Past Doesn't Mean the Past Let's Go of You"

Snow fell from the heavens down on to Port Charles for the fourth day in the row, and the snowplows came roaring down the highway almost every hour on the hour, the loud engines cutting through the quiet night. Elizabeth Webber stood at the top of the roof of General Hospital, soaking in the cold air using it to dampen the rage that simmered inside of her heart. With dark long and wavy hair that framed a gentle face and soft-squared jaw, some might say that she looked like an angel with blue eyes so bright they seemed to reflect the very heavens. Though Elizabeth was the first to correct such a notion, knowing that she was no perfect angel, and that she had made more than her fair share of mistakes—mistakes that seemed to come back to haunt her. Perhaps if she had been bold, instead of hiding behind lies to protect and shield her heart then her life wouldn't be where it was right now.

Jason Morgan was alive. The man that had been living under her roof as Jake Doe had indeed Jason Morgan. She would never forget the way Nicolas's admission had felt like a knife to the gut—a burning white hot knife—and how that moment fractured the image she had of her friend forever. He had attempted to manipulate her, tried to burden her with his lie, and then in the next breath said he didn't care if she told the truth.

So she did.

She had pulled Jake, Sam, and Patrick aside at the Nurses Ball, and told them what Nicolas had revealed. The shocked look on Nicolas's face clearly told him that he had expected her to lie, and maybe in a different life and time she would have. She felt embarrassed, scarred by what Ric done, and she felt herself on the edge of an abyss. It would have been painfully easy to just slip off the cliff, and just let herself sink downward. But would she be able to get back up? She had fallen so many times before that she didn't feel like she could get back up if she fell again. All that happened just made her all that more painfully aware of the mistakes she had made in trying to find happiness in her life. Ever since Jason left her at the courthouse, Elizabeth's heart had hardened against love in way that had never happened before. It forced her to open her to the fact that fairytales were just that: tales. And sometimes love just wasn't enough.

Lucky had attempt to mend their relationship when she had gotten sick from that toxin that Trevor Lansing had brought into the hospital back a few years ago, but Elizabeth shut him down. She couldn't risk her heart on him again, and Lucky had been furious. Still to this day, he was angry and bitter towards even though he had married Rebecca Shaw, Emily's look-a-like. And Elizabeth always knew that Nicolas had started to feel something more than friendship for her, but thankfully he never acted upon it. Elizabeth couldn't give him what he wanted, not when she didn't know if she was capable of trying to love someone like that again. Matt Drake certainly had been interested, but he had been also pursing Maxie so Elizabeth wasn't getting anywhere near that.

Then there had been Ewen. Sweet, understanding Ewen that ended up kidnapping her after she found out he was working with Jerry Jacks to poison the town. Elizabeth was near ready to give up on love, and she didn't know why she even thought things would go right with Ric. One trip down the aisle, and the disaster of their marriage had been enough. Elizabeth let the past take foothold in her present, and got drawn in again by a what if. For a blink of an eye, it had been alright. She could see the good man that she knew Ric was always capable of being, then he "died" and several months later, when Jake Doe had come into her life, Ric miraculous returned. She felt obligated to try with him since he had been through so much. It was doomed from the start, especially given the reason she wanted to be with him wasn't because she loved him, but was an attempt to distance herself from the feelings she had for Jake Doe, whom she believed married to Hayden Barnes. Except he wasn't, he was married to Sam and that made it all the much worse.

Ric's death and returned affected her, after all she wasn't cold hearted. But Jason's…

Jason's tore down her world in ways that only he ever could.

It brought up all those feelings, those broken promises and dreams. It brought up the pain and hurt when Jason had waltzed back into Sam's arms, forgiving her for all she put them through, but Elizabeth didn't. Elizabeth couldn't. Like she said, she wasn't perfect, but for fuck's sake, Sam didn't have those 'moments of weakness' because she was hurt. She did it because she was vindictive and vengeful. If it had been actual hurt that had caused Sam's downward spiral, Elizabeth could have understood it because Elizabeth's had a few of her own, but it wasn't no matter how much Sam liked to rewrite history to paint herself in a better light. And Elizabeth pities anyone who buys that act.

Drawing in a slow deep breath, Elizabeth held the cold air in her lungs in attempt to stave off the flames of retribution that simmered in her blood. The fallout from the truth had gone as well as could be expected. Joy and disbelief from all those who held Jason dear in their life, and of course, Jake Doe all, but vanished underneath the heap of expectation placed upon him by said people. Elizabeth had kept her distance, refusing to be wrongfully accused of trying to sink her claws into Jason. Carly had attempt to say that Elizabeth would just use the time she took Jake Doe in as a means to do just that, but Elizabeth shut her down, harshly pointing out that the only person who had Jake Doe's back since he woke up had been her. Through all the Helena brainwashing and his time in jail, Elizabeth had believed him when no one else would. Hell even, Sam said that Jake Doe was nothing like Jason. How quickly she changed her tune.

It had been a couple of months since the Nurses Ball, but it felt like a lifetime. Everyone was still speaking about Jason's revival, and Nicolas had left for Greece under fire from everyone for his hand in keeping Jason's identity a secret. Elizabeth was ready for the next big scandal to come through because every time that nosy Amy would try to pry information out of Elizabeth about her role in Jason's life gave her an instant migraine and honestly tested her self-control. A lesser woman would have strangled and beaten Amy within an inch of her life by now. Elizabeth just skillfully dodged and avoided and would be ecstatic when she would be finally off the double shifts that Monica suddenly put her on. She supposed the older woman thought if Elizabeth had too much time on her hands, then she would be trying to use her "charms" to ensnare Jason. Too bad that everyone couldn't see, that Elizabeth had finally let that ship sail.

The only bright light in all the chaotic happens was Jake. Her son, Jake, was alive. Luke and Laura had confronted Helena one last time, and found him there on Cassidine Island. She had never felt so—happy, joyful, elated—when Luke ushered him into her home. He was older, obviously time did not stand still, but he was still her little boy. Her perfect little boy. She has so many questions about how this was possible, and if Nicolas had known, and what had happened to him. It was Laura who offered her advice, and told her not to make the mistakes that they had done with Lucky. To get him professional help, and be patient with him.

Tunneling her fingers through her hair, Elizabeth let out a weary sigh, knowing she was going to have to go back to work. She didn't want to. She escaped out of here so she didn't have to face Sam who was sitting with her sister, Kristina in the waiting room. Elizabeth heard Sam gush about how she and Jason were hoping to have a new addition to the family soon. A part of Elizabeth was upset by that, but not because she was jealous of Sam. No, because had it not been a few days before the Nurses Ball that Jake Doe had proclaimed his love for Elizabeth? Was she so easily forgettable? Done away with? She knew that he would try with Sam because Sam was his wife, but a little part of her hoped that she would have mattered a little more to not be so easily forgotten. Maybe she wouldn't care if things had been simple. If Jason hadn't left her feeling like the only reason they weren't together was because of the danger, like they were starcrossed lovers that only touch for a brief moment, but would always love each other. Maybe if there had been closure on the dreams she had with him, back all those years ago and now, then the cut to her soul would not bleed so keenly. But it was what it was, Elizabeth gave the skyline one last look before she headed back inside. The past had already been written, and Elizabeth was done trying to rewrite it.

No, the past held nothing for her. She had to forge ahead with a broken, but hopeful heart. She had to continue to be strong for Cameron, showing him that everything would be alright. She brushed the snow off the bottom of her shoes on the mat before she descended the stairs carefully, and it was all too soon that she reached the floor. She walked over the nurse's hub, which only had the new girl Amy who was talking quietly to Hayden Barnes—how did she even get a job here?— and immediately got herself to work. It had been a double shift she had to endure because the flu was going around, and she felt so guilty at having Georgie watching Cameron so much.

Georgie Jones had returned to town a few months ago after earning her Masters in Psychology. She had left town after an extremely frightful encounter with the Text Message Killer—who later turned out to be Diego Alcazar. If Spinelli hadn't found Georgie when he had, and done CPR, she would have likely been dead. While searching for a job, Georgie had been helping Elizabeth out with Cameron, and she was glad the younger woman put up with her. She really needed to do something nice for Georgie. Get her a gift card to a spa, or a nice arrangement from edible arrangements.

"Excuse me, Elizabeth?" Sam's voice broke through her thoughts.

Elizabeth almost slammed her head into the counter, repeatedly, but managed to stop herself. "How can I help you, Sam?" She asked, the words coming out nice and without a hint of the frustration bubbling beneath her surface.

"I was supposed to have an appointment with Kelly at six, but it's nearly seven. I was just wondering if you could tell me why I haven't been called back," Sam stated, softly. She stood there with her hands shoved into her jacket, and her sister Kristina stood off at the side with a rather sour expression on her face.

 _Why was Sam still here? And why does the universe make me have to deal with her?_ Elizabeth didn't allow her disgruntle feelings to show, and kept her face completely polite. She had constructed quite the mask throughout the years of dealing with women like Sam and Carly. They were like sharks wanting for the first sniff of blood in the water, and Elizabeth refused to give them the satisfaction. "She's still in with a patient who unexpectedly went into labor," Elizabeth commented, after checking the computer and she turned to look Sam square in the eye. "It may be a while longer due to some complications. I can reschedule your appointment if you wish."

"Yeah, right," Kristina huffed, arms crossed. "You just want to keep Sam from seeing her beca—"

"Kristina," Sam said, sharply. A faint color rose into her cheeks, almost like she was embarrassed, but then again, she was a former con-artist. She must have been quite the actress to pull off as much as she did so Elizabeth was uncertain of the sincerity of Sam's expression.

"There are number of open appointments for tomorrow. There are two in the morning, one at eight and another at ten. There is a later one in the afternoon around three, if that would better suit your schedule," Elizabeth commented, not batting an eyelash at Kristina and her remarks. Elizabeth arched a cold brow, looking down at the teenager girl. She had little doubt that Sam had filled the girl's head with an alternate version of history that painted Sam as the martyr and Elizabeth as the snake. But she was a misguided kid who wasn't even around when everything that happened between her, Jason and Sam went down all those years ago, and wasn't worth the effort.

Sam nodded her head. "That sounds fine," said the brunette, her tone quiet and soft. She always spoke in husky whispers which confused Elizabeth to no end. "The ten o'clock one sounds perfect. Jason should be able to come with me then."

"Alright. I will set it up and let Kelly know," Elizabeth said, simply. She had no visible reaction to that, and inwardly, the pang was dull. Elizabeth hoped that meant that the wound inside of her left by Jason was finally healing, but she could tell that Kristina had been hoping for something more than the simple acceptance that Elizabeth showed by the scowl on her face. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes, actually," Sam said, pretending to hesitate. The only reason Elizabeth knew that it was false was because sometimes when Sam acted, she over-exaggerated her facial features, almost to the point that her expression were more comical than they were convincing. "I was wondering if Jake could come stay the night. Jason would really like to spend time with both of his sons."

Elizabeth stilled from head to toe. The momma bear in her snarled and clawed, vying to be free so she could rip the extension out of Sam's head one by one and Elizabeth barely managed to keep her calm. "I'm sorry, Sam, but that is not happening," she said, her tone firm and sharp.

"Jason is his father," Sam started, with an angry expression. "He has a right—"

"Sam, I have offered to let you and Jason meet up with Georgie or myself at the park with the boys. Jake has been through a lot," Elizabeth cut her off, frostily. Her expression showed there would be no such thing as compromise, and her lips thinned out into a firm line. "He doesn't feel safe anywhere, but at home. After what Helena put him through—"

"And whose fault is that?" Kristina snapped.

"Little girl, you need to stop before you land yourself in hot water," Elizabeth glowered down at the teenager. "This has nothing to do with you. Nothing at all, and I don't know why you are eager for a fight but I don't have the time to bother wasting on you," she said, her tongue cutting and without mercy. "And the answer is no, Sam. It will remain no, because Jake is going through too much, and I don't exactly trust you of all people with him."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kristina spat, red faced. As if princess purity had any right to judge her sister.

Sam blanched, all the color drained from her face. "I thought you had forgiven me."

"Jason forgave you. _Jason_ ," Elizabeth pointed out, a hard expression on her face. "Not me. You may have helped save Jake the second time, but you were also responsible for those unexpected visitors on our doorstep. Maybe it's cruel, maybe it's vindictive, but I've lost too much by trusting that others were capable of change. I'm not willing to lose anymore. I'm not willing to risk my child. I just got him back. I just can't," and like that the angry wind blew out of her sails, leaving her feeling exhausted and tired beyond belief. The last few months had taken a toll on Elizabeth leaving dark circles under her eyes, a sallow hue to her skin, and several pounds of weight lost leaving her to an almost unhealthy mass.

Sam stared at her with an indecipherable gaze, and opened her mouth, but Kristina spoke first. "Sam, you have nothing to be forgiven for! You have done nothing wrong. If anyone has done the wrong, it's Elizabeth. She standing there all high and mighty acting like Jason's too good to be her baby daddy, but maybe she should have thought about that before she climbed fifteen flights of stairs and spread her legs like a wh—"

"Kristina Marie Davis," Alexis Davis said, her tone the kind that only a disapproving mother could make. She had come to the hospital when Kristina had given her a vague text message about her and Sam being here, and had been worried. She had expected to find one of them hurt, but never in her wildest imagination would have thought of coming across Kristina talking to another person that way.

Kristina's face paled. "Mom, I—"

"Don't mom me, young lady. You apologize to Elizabeth right this second," Alexis stated, firmly.

"Why?" Kristina said, defiantly. "She is keeping Jason and Sam from seeing Jake, and—"

"A matter that has nothing to do with you, and your opinion has no bearing in it. If Elizabeth wants to keep Jason and Sam away, I'm sure she has her reasons," Alexis commented, with a quelling look at her middle child. "I expect better from you, Kristina. I did not raise you to attack, or treat others that way no matter what they've done or not done. And Sam, you should not better than to let your sister fly off the handle like that." _Especially when you know the truth_ , went unsaid, but was clearly written in the look that Alexis tossed Sam. Alexis had been worried Sam would do some passive aggressive attack on Elizabeth, ever since Jason's return. It had only gotten worse when Jake was also found alive, and that's when Sam had gotten the bright idea to have another baby with Jason, pressing the issue at every turn. Alexis knew that it stemmed from insecurity because Jake Doe had been so close with Elizabeth, and Sam always felt like she had to destroy or marginalize the connection the two shared. She knew her daughter felt that having another baby would tie her more to Jason, and usurp Elizabeth completely out of Jason's life, but Alexis just had a feeling that in the end, Sam's action were going to drive 'the love of her life' away.

Sam's cheeks flushed, and she glared up at Elizabeth. "Jason and I will be talking to Diane about the situation with Jake," the brunette finally declared, darkly. She couldn't believe her own mother was defending Elizabeth, and that trapped animal feeling welled inside of her when she realized that Elizabeth had never forgiven her what she did to Jake. If the other woman wanted, she could destroy Sam's life with a single word and Sam just couldn't let that happen.

"Go ahead, Sam," Elizabeth said, with a dismissive tone. "It's not going to change a thing."

Sam marched off, and Kristina followed after before her mother could stop her. Alexis sighed, heavily, staring at the elevator in which her two daughters disappeared. "I swear I don't know what has gotten into the two of them. I'm sorry that they did that Elizabeth, and while Kristina might have been the one with the bite, I can't help to think that Sam was the bark," Alexis said, looking very exhausted. She had her own issues to deal with on top of running around trying to keep her children in check, especially with her being a suspect in a murder. "Sam has gotten it into her head that the reason Jason isn't taking to his old life well is because of you."

Elizabeth didn't know what to make of that. She didn't want to make anything of it. It would just make things infinitely more complicated. "From what I've seen Jason is perfectly happy with his old life," she stated, flatly. "He is Sonny's man once again."

"Working for Sonny is one thing, but when it comes to his home life? He doesn't want to help Sam look for baby beds, or baby clothes. He doesn't seem invested, and Sam is hurt so…" Alexis allowed Elizabeth to fill in the gaps for herself, and ran her hand down face. "I just don't want her to get hurt is all, and if that is where this is leading, I would appreciate to know so I can help ease the fallout for my daughter."

"Alexis, I don't intend of hurting anyone," Elizabeth told her, earnestly. She closed the patient file and squared her shoulders, before she raised her gaze to meet Alexis's. "I just want to be left alone. I want my boys and me to be left alone. Whatever I had with Jason, it's been over for years and while there was a spark of something with Jake Doe…now that I know that he is Jason, it's never going to happen. I don't see a future with him, and I don't think that anything is going to change any time soon."

Alexis gave her a scrutinizing look. "You aren't going to fight for him? I mean, you were on the verge of something with him before Ric showed up, and his fake wife, Hayden. I know there are feelings," the lawyer stated, not in the least bit judgmental.

"If Jason can't stand up, and say he isn't happy for himself, I can't do it for him. He's a grown man, capable of making his own decision, and if doesn't then he deserve what he gets. Besides, I won't beg someone to love me. I learned long ago that there is no use in desperate pleas to try and make someone stay," Elizabeth told her, with a heavy sigh. "I am not going to chase someone who doesn't know my worth, and I am not going to wait for someone who doesn't acknowledge my value. I shouldn't have to fight for love. I am worth more than that."

"I'm glad you know that. I know that failed relationship piled up onto ones shoulders can wear down a person's self-esteem, and better judgment. It's easy to slide into a never ending loop of mistakes instead of opening your eyes up, but for what it is worth, I think you could do better than men like Jason and Lucky," Alexis commented, with a wry smile. "Don't get me wrong…Jason is a nice son-in-law, but he's a bit…dense when it comes to the women in his life and how he treats them. I always felt that he doesn't give his all in his relationships, and holds back. I wanted more Sam, someone who would love her with everything, but she has her eyes set solely on Jason."

 _Believe me, the whole of Port Charles knows of Sam's obsession to be Jason's ride and die chick,_ Elizabeth thought, but didn't say that out loud. Alexis was being reasonable and kind, and there was no need to repay that with rudeness.

"And I'm sorry for pressing you. I know that this isn't…an ideal situation for anyone, and I know how it hurts to feel like you aren't enough," Alexis apologized, with a sympathetic look.

"You are Sam's mom. I understand you wanting to protect your child," Elizabeth said, easily forgiving Alexis. Out of everyone in Port Charles, Alexis had never looked down on Elizabeth for her past mistakes, and lapses in judgment. The only time they ever came head to head was when Alexis was Lucky's lawyer in the last divorce, and a few conversations pertaining to Sam back in 2007, but they were never impolite or hateful to one another. "But I really don't think you have anything to worry about, Alexis."

Alexis smiled. "I hope you are right, because sometimes, I look at Sam and I fear that she hasn't changed as much as I want to believe. When Jason was gone, I saw real growth in her as a person and now that he's back I'm afraid…" The older woman shook her head, slightly. "But that isn't your concern. It's mine. I'll let you get back to work. Take care, Elizabeth."

"You, too," Elizabeth replied, as Alexis made her way to the elevator. After the lawyer left, Elizabeth got to work updating a few patient charters as well setting up appointment for a few callers when her cellphone rang. It was the generic ring tong—a sound that she didn't often hear, because everyone in her call list had a personalized ringtone—and she pulled it out of her pocket. Elizabeth frowned, not recognizing the number. Hitting the answer button, she pressed the phone to her ear and said, "Hello?"

" _Elizabeth, we need to talk_ ," the deep, rich male voice curled against her ear.

Her heart lurched inside of her chest—sharp and painfully—and she drew in a panicked gasp. For a moment, she stood there at an utter loss at what to do. She hadn't heard that voice in so long, and the memories rushed over her in a tidal wave. "Me speaky no English. Very, very sorry," she said, in the worst imitation of an Asian accent and clicked the end call button on the phone. White hot embarrassment burned in her cheeks, and this sick, hollow feeling burrowed deep into her chest. Bringing her head down on the counter with an unforgiving smack, she was unabashed about the stares she received, and she whimpered, "Why am I the universe's butt monkey?"

No person nor the universe gave reply.

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E **ND OF CHAPTER!**

 **Honestly? I have no idea where this will lead. I just started writing this one day, and this is what I got. I have a few ideas of where to take it, but until that time it say "complete" until I've written out the rest of it, and then I will start posting on it. I really just wanted to get you alls input and see what you thought about it, and see if any feedback feeds my muse. Another thing to note is that I've edited a great deal of Elizabeth's history. I edited pieces that I just felt were unnecessary plot points by the GH writers that did nothing, and the actions that I felt were not true to Elizabeth's character. So it is Alternative History, but still has a good deal of cannon as the foundation. Anyways, give me your thoughts and let me know what you think. RRs are appreciated.**


	2. Jason - Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS. This is for amusement purposes only.

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. **AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy** , but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2 for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady for the favs!

And I want to thank trini12180, vonnicus36, notenoughlove, knightmare627, leasmom, kcke2pen, arcoiris0502, ScienceGirl, saraungerer, Bryantk82, Mel4113, Pamela, abstractartist, kikimoo, ScienceGirl972, guest, Spiritkit, Guest 2, Ilovedana53, skatiefan, C, lrobinson01, retiredlady, RobJas, Pwrmom2 for all the lovely reviews.

Guest Review:

Leasmom: It might be one of them in a different ending. I'm doing multiple endings with different outcomes. :D

ScienceGirl: Yep, the Liz that I wish we would have gotten to see. I hated how the show had her sacrifice her morals and integrity for the sake of cheap drama. In this, I hope to write the show and characters more realistic.

Mel4113: I'm glad that you like it and how I am writing Elizabeth. I don't always hate on Sam, but recent tweets on twitter have kind of renewed my pent up frustration for her past deeds, and like you said the show is complete BS at this point, so I needed to write a story where that was rectified! Thanks for the amazing review.

Pamela: Glad you like it. I'm not a total fan of their version. They cope out on real drama and heart breaking moments using hollow and weak tricks to supposedly create tension. I can't even watch episodes anymore because I just don't recognize the show anymore. The caller is different for every ending. I'm writing several different story endings. Thanks for your review.

Guest: I may have spoken too soon. There will be romance in almost every ending that I've decided to write, but it's not always going to be the forefront. I really tried to write it more for drama and family, but the romance just wouldn't leave me be so I hope you like it.

Guest 2: Thanks. Glad you like it.

C: Thanks, glad you like it.

Pwrmom2: I'm writing as fast as my fingers can go, and time will let me. Lol Glad that you are hooked, hopefully the story will continue to keep you entertained.

Inspired the songs:

"The Last Song" by Theory of Deadman

"Now or Never" by Halsey

"Crossfire" by Stephen

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 **(JASON—OUR HEARTS CAN'T HOLD THE TRUTH)**

CHAPTER ONE

"Without it's Home, a Heart is Lost"

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 _"He'd trade his guns for love,_

 _But he's caught in the crossfire,_

 _And he keeps waking up,_

 _But it's not to the sound of birds."_

— _"Crossfire" by Stephen_

An unusually ice cold breeze came off the churning waves and onto the docks where Jason Morgan stood with his cellphone to his ear, and a solemn look on his face. "Elizabeth, we need to talk," Jason said, into his cellphone. He almost laughed at the stuttered response and the horrible attempt at a fake accent. He would have laughed if he weren't so annoyed with the avoidance dance she had been doing to him for the last four months. He knew why she was doing it. She was putting that distance there to avoid the hurt because she assumed—like everyone else—that he would magically fall back in love with Sam, and Elizabeth would be forgotten. But that wasn't the way it was. He had tried to find his old life, to pick up on the memories as he stared at familiar strangers, and nothing real came back to him. He had most of his memories, but they were with no emotions. It was like watching a movie on a silver screen, but it invoked nothing from inside of his heart.

His memories of Elizabeth _tugged_ at his soul. They wouldn't let him go, and maybe that was because of the unresolved love and dreams that had been left shattered between them. He had gone to Michael to get an unbiased point of view on his relationship with Elizabeth, and Michael told him all that he knew. _"No one paid us kids much attention. Never stopped to think about what we'd overhear or see, but I saw a lot during those years. I never said anything because…well, I was a kid. Who would be willing to listen to the advice of a kid?"_ Michael had said. He told Jason about how he and Sam fell apart, and Lucky destroyed Elizabeth trust by sleeping with Maxie and the drugs. How all this brought Jason and Elizabeth together, but told him how everyone and anyone acted like an obstacle to keep them apart. He told him what Lucky did afterwards, how Elizabeth made mistakes trying to protect everyone and herself from the fallout, and what Sam did to Elizabeth and Jason.

Jason didn't know what to do with that information. His wife had watched his son get kidnapped, and hired gunmen to intimidate Elizabeth so Jason would push the nurse away. How had he forgiven her? And how can everyone say how good Sam is for him when she did those things? Love isn't supposed to be vengeful. Love is about letting go, and letting that person be happy even if it isn't with you. That's what Elizabeth had done before, and was doing again. It was a concept that Sam couldn't seem to grasp, and there was a knot in his stomach. If he left Sam—like he had been planning on doing—would she retaliate again? Or had she truly changed? Those thoughts weighed heavily upon, and the night after his talk with Michael the entire of his memories came flooding back into his like a tidal wave. It had been painful and mind numbing, but he had awoke with the clarity he sorely needed these last few months.

Which is why he needed to talk to Elizabeth, needed to have a honest discussion with her about their past and their future. He had realized that their timing had never been off. That they needed to make the time instead of desperately trying to find it, and have the courage to be together instead of giving into fear. He started to dial in the number again when a voice came from behind him. "Why are you talking to Elizabeth?"

Jason groaned, running a hand down his face before he turned and faced Carly. Carly—his supposed best friend who wanted only the best for him, but only when it coincided with how she felt he should live his life. As Jake Doe, she didn't care if he liked Elizabeth. She made it clear she thought he was making a bad choice, but had respected it. Now as Jason, she wanted control of his decision and was constantly pushing him towards Sam. Setting up dates at the Metro Court, and offering to babysit so he could spend alone time with Sam. He had known it was only a matter of time that Sam went running to tell the blond that none of her machinations were working, and he had been dreading this confrontation. "Well, she is the mother of my child, Carly," Jason stated, tonelessly. He shoved his phone into his pocket, and his blue eyes stared at Carly. He wondered if she knew that he was one step away from having nothing to do with her. "That's not going to change no matter who I am with."

"But you are with Sam?" Carly challenged, her eyes narrowed. "Right?"

"Carly…" Jason sighed.

"Jason!" Carly shook her head. "Why are you doing this to yourself? You have a son, and a life with Sam. Why jeopardize that over some mistaken feelings of gratitude towards Elizabeth? You try to build on feelings that aren't there, and the nightingale luster will wear off, and Sam might not wait around for you."

"Carly, shut up." His tone was hard, and harsh. He was tired of people telling him how he felt about Elizabeth, or how he was supposed to feel about Elizabeth. He was tired of people claiming he loved Sam, when the truth was that love wasn't there. "Mistaken feelings of gratitude? Don't try to sell yourself that lie. I also have a son with Elizabeth, if you have conveniently forgotten and a history that starts way before Sam was a thought in Port Charles. What I feel for Elizabeth is real, and it's always going to be real," he stated, scathingly as the blonde looked taken aback. "I've spent time with Sam, Carly. I've tried to reclaim my past, and I've tried to be the Jason Morgan you all know and loved, but I am not him."

"Don't say that," Carly said, looking wounded. "Of course, you are him."

"No, I'm not. My life started the day I woke up in that hospital bed. It was a good life. It didn't feel like it was missing a damn thing. I had Elizabeth, and I had her boys before Hayden conned me, and Elizabeth felt obligated to try with Ric," Jason said, his jaw clenched. He didn't understand why Carly just couldn't understand that he wasn't the same man as before. Yes, he had pieces of Jason Morgan, but he also pieces of Jason Quartermaine. No matter what she believed, he had been irrevocably changed. "And you know what? If Hayden and Ric hadn't come back, I would still be there and I would have been happy."

"What about Sam?" Carly said, frowning.

"What about Sam?" Jason asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What about the life you have with her? You are just going to give up your past for a future with a woman who has never been right for you?" Carly fumed, her brow furrowed. She couldn't believe that even though Elizabeth had been far out of Jason's orbit that the twit still had a hold on him.

"There's nothing to reclaim, Carly. My memories don't feel like mine. They make me feel like I'm empty, waking through life like a zombie. A half-life that I told myself I was content with, but never admitted how much it was lacking," Jason told her, honestly. He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed to understand that this was the only choice for him. "I'm sorry if I am being selfish because I don't want spend the rest of my life screaming on the inside."

Carly's mouth dropped opened, and then closed. "How can you say that? You loved your life."

"Did I? Or you did none you care to look any deeper because I lived my life according to your specifications?" Jason stated, callously. His shoulders rose with a deep breath, and he shook his head. "Carly, I can't go back. There is not going back. I have to move forward."

"With Elizabeth?"

"If she'll still have me," Jason said, with conviction.

"Oh, come on! It's too soon for you to make that decision. You've got to take some time on this," Carly urged him, desperately.

"It's been nearly a year. I've been through ups and downs. I spent time with Elizabeth, and Sam. I know who makes me feel alive, and who doesn't make me feel at all. So don't tell me that I'm confused, or that it's too soon. I know what I want. I know what I need. I want to move on with Elizabeth, with my family," Jason stressed that because Elizabeth and her boys were family to him, "and if what I want don't fit your expectations, too bad."

"Elizabeth doesn't know who you are…" Carly started.

"Correction, you don't know who I am. Elizabeth has been a constant in my life since I woke up. She saw something in Jake Doe in that hospital bed, something that made her care and trust me when she had no reason to. She stood by my side when Helena was controlling me, and was the only one to do so," Jason said, his tone and expression fierce. He wasn't about to let Carly twist history once again. "And when she found out the truth, she did what was best for me and let me know it. She could have lied. Nicolas wanted her to lie, but she didn't? She is the only that has stepped back, and allowed me space to breathe and figure out what I wanted. None of you—not Sonny, not Sam, and not you Carly—could do that for me, and you claim Elizabeth is the one that doesn't know me?"

Carly sniffled, reaching up to wipe away her tears. She couldn't believe he was talking to her like this. "She isn't good for you, Jason, and I don't want to see you hurt. She tried to trap you before by climbing—"

"Fifteen flights of stairs and getting pregnant? Is that what you were going to say? Sam tried to spin that story, too. So did Monica, but it's funny how you all conveniently leave out other facts. Like the fact that I saw Sam rutting around with Ric, or that Elizabeth caught Lucky with Maxie. Or how about the fact that Elizabeth and I used protection that night, but my condoms were defective," Jason said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring down Carly. The blonde didn't know it, but if she didn't choose her words carefully, their friendship would go up in a puff of smoke.

"Oh, please. Why would she climb fifteen flights of stairs if she didn't have an agenda?" Carly hissed. She couldn't stand that he defending little miss muffet to her.

"Could it be because I was the only one urging her to do what was best for her and Cameron instead lecturing her on why she needed to give Lucky another chance?" Jason stated, practically growling with anger. The muscles on his neck were drawn taunt, and his throat bobbed. "That I was the only safe place she knew at that time? Stop looking at Elizabeth through your eyes Carly because she is nothing like you, and her motivations don't came from the same place that yours does."

Carly blanched. She had to find a way to salvage this. Obviously, Purity Princess had told Jason about their past, and a bit about Carly—something she'd make the nurse regret—but Elizabeth didn't have a lot of people on her side. She, Sam and Sonny could convince Jason that Elizabeth was just trying to save face. Brand her as a liar in Jason's eyes, and he would want nothing to do with her. "Look, I don't know what Elizabeth told you about your past, but—"

"Carly, I'm giving one chance to stop, and salvage any respect I have for you. If you say what you are about to say, then don't ever think of me as your friend again," Jason warned her, darkly. His eyes blazed with a blue fire, and his hands curled into loose fists at his sides.

The blonde ignored the warning, certain that Jason was bluffing. "Elizabeth lied to you. That isn't how it went down, and she is just using your amnesia to paint herself in a better light," Carly stated, fiercely. "I told you, Jason, that she is a user and if you don't believe me then go to Sam or Sonny. They will back me up on this."

Jason's face went stone cold, and Carly could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as Jason took a step forward. "I warned you, Carly. I told you to just leave it be, but you couldn't even do that. You incessant need to demolish any connection I have with Elizabeth because of your insecurities and your need to be first in my life is the last straw," he told her, his voice as cold as the artic and he stared down at her with revulsion. "Elizabeth didn't tell me about our past, Carly. I remembered it."

Carly's face fell. "No…"

"I remember my life. All of it. Jason Quartermaine and Jason Morgan. I see all my memories with a startling clarity and you know what? I don't really like the man that I was there at the end, and I can see my mistakes for what they were," Jason told her, with a cold smile. "I'm not living my life for you, or Sonny, or Sam. I'm living it for me, and I love Elizabeth."

"Jason, don't do this…"

"And the sad thing is Carly…if you just accepted that I am a person capable of making my decision, mistakes or not, then you would still have place in my life," Jason said, with a resigned shake of his head. "But you pushed. You called Elizabeth a liar, and in the same sentence tried to manipulate me. You never really knew me at all."

"No! No, Jason, that's not true!" Carly cried out, latching on his arm. "I just wanted to protect you!"

Jason pulled his arm free from her grasp, and walked away leaving the hysterical blonde on the docks alone.

* * *

The days passed for Elizabeth at a mind numbing snail's pace. The steady everyday things were becoming too much for the nurse, and Elizabeth was honestly considering a change of pace. Quitting her job here, and perhaps looking into the art gallery. While Ava was a bit of a town pariah, the other woman was polite towards Elizabeth and when she learned that Elizabeth was once an artist, wanted to see some of her work. Going out on a limb, Elizabeth met up with the blond at Kelly's and showed her portfolio. Ava was impressed, and actually offered her a job. Ava admitted that it was partially to rile up Carly and Sonny a bit, but that she could tell the nurse had a discerning eye for color and patterns that the gallery would benefit from.

The hours at the gallery would allow Elizabeth to apply for online college, and get a degree in art and design to where she could get a full time job at the gallery. It might raise some hell given Ava's association with Sonny, but Elizabeth found that she couldn't really care. Everyone and anyone seemed determined to start drama with her, so if she was going to burn then why not add fuel to the flames and go out as an inferno instead of brief spark? She shook her head at the inane thought, but it was true. Elizabeth was tired of how monochrome her world had become, and no one else could break the mold she found herself in, except for herself.

She was typing in patient's appointments when she caught movement in front of her. Her head lifted, and her heart slammed into her throat when she saw a familiar pair of blue eyes staring down at her. "Jason, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked, a slight squeak to her voice. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she hadn't expected to see him so soon after the phone call. The memory of how she ended the phone call only made her awkwardness even more painfully.

"I…I have an appointment with Patrick and Kevin Collins," Jason answered, tapping his fingers against the countertop.

"Is…is the nightmares?" Elizabeth questioned, her embarrassment replaced with concerned. She remembered the terrible nightmares that he had when he was staying with her back when he was still Jake Doe, but Jason didn't like hospitals so it was surprising that he would come here willing if it wasn't to see Monica.

"Partially. Hey, look," Jason sighed, lightly. "We really need to talk."

Elizabeth pursed her lips, and looked down at the chart in her hands. "Is it about Jake?" She said, her tone deceptively calm. She didn't want to believe that Sam had managed to get Jason to sue her for custody, but there had been a time that she had believed Jason wouldn't forgive Sam for all she did all those years ago. And she remembered how that ended.

"No, it's about us," Jason corrected.

"Us?" Elizabeth gave him a confused look. Part of her relieved that he wasn't here about custody, but the other half of her alarmed because she had been so dead set in leaving the past behind her. Apparently, Jason wasn't going to make that easy. "Jason, there is no us."

"There will always be us, Elizabeth," Jason told her, with a frown.

Elizabeth stood there, not knowing what to say for a long time. "Look, Jason, you are with Sam. I stepped away from the situation to let you figure stuff out, and I'm not putting myself in the middle. I won't be accused of trying to trap you, or manipulate you, or whatever other venom Carly will spew forth," she told him, with a tired look. She didn't know what he was after here, and the conversation with Alexis stirred in her mind. She didn't want to let hope take root in her heart when it came to this man in front of her because too many times had her hopes for a life with him had been shattered. "If you want to talk about Jake—"

"Jason," a voice cut off Elizabeth's words, "what are you doing here?" Monica stepped around Jason, and into Elizabeth' eyes sight. She spared no time in inserting herself into the conversation, and stood beside Jason with a tight smile on her face. Her eyes flickered from her son to Elizabeth, and the nurse fought to not to roll her eyes at Monica's antics.

"Just here to talk to Elizabeth about a few things," Jason stated, carefully.

Elizabeth glanced at him, a bit a curiosity in her gaze. She wondered why Jason didn't mention his appointment to Monica, and then realized he probably didn't want anyone to know. He wanted his sessions to be private and few from everyone's opinions. _But he trusted you with the knowledge,_ the traitorous little thought ran through her mind before she could smash it beneath her heel. "This weekend is free, so if you still want to take Jake to the park you can," Elizabeth covered for him, without batting an eye.

"That sounds great. Thanks," Jason smiled, the tiniest bit of relief that Elizabeth hadn't ratted him out. "Do…do you mind if I take Cameron, too?"

Surprise flashed across Elizabeth face, and her heart squeezed. "No…I don't mind. Cameron will be thrilled," she said, her voice very quiet. She often felt guilt when it came to Cameron because of his lack of a steady father figure. After Lucky had married Rebecca Shaw, he hadn't wanted anything to do with Cameron. Ric and Jake Doe were the first men that she let close enough to be around Cameron in long time, and both of them left his life in the span of three weeks. She knew that Cameron was hurt, even though he didn't talk about it. The fact that Jason would make the effort to include Cameron soothed that ache inside of her, and she knew that it would make Cameron feel better, too.

"Right. That sounds wonderful. I'm sure Danny will enjoy having other children to play with," Monica commented, her smile too big to be real. A look flashed in her eyes, but it passed to quickly for Jason to catch.

Jason blinked as if remembering Monica was there. "Uh, yeah. He will," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll call you late Elizabeth to sort out the details."

Elizabeth nodded, knowing that it wasn't the details he wanted to talk about.

"Alright. See you later, Elizabeth," Jason smiled, clasping his hands in front of him. "Bye, Monica."

"Bye," Monica said, keeping up the cordial smile.

Elizabeth didn't buy it for a second. She saw the storm brewing behind Monica's eyes, and as soon as Jason walked away she felt the older woman turned towards her. The nurse didn't say anything just got back to work because she wasn't going to start something with Monica. It was frankly a waste of her time because the woman had made up her mind about Elizabeth over half-truths told to her over the years about Sam, and blamed Elizabeth for keep Jake a secret. Elizabeth did admit that she did hold some blame for that, but she hardly the root of all evil that Monica wanted to believe she was.

"You just can't help yourself, can you, Elizabeth?" Monica snapped, after a prolonged silence and being pointedly ignored by the nurse.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth lifted a brow.

"Oh, don't try to act innocent. If you think that you can use your sons to manipulate Jason, and sink you claws into him, you have another thing coming. He is happily married to Sam, and I won't let you try weasel your way into their lives again," Monica stated, fiercely. Her cheeks were flushed with a righteous anger, and she stepped around the hub to follow the nurse.

"Look, Monica, I don't know what you are talking about. I haven't talked to Jason about anything other than Jake's therapy ever since I told everyone at the Nurses Ball who he was, and about Nicolas concealing his identity. I haven't tried to 'sink my claws into' or manipulate him away from his family like you constantly imply that I am," Elizabeth told the woman, with an unimpressed look. She used to respect the Quartermaine matriarch, but that eroded away over the years. "Jake is Jason's son, and I am Jake's mother. That means that Jason and I have to talk to one another, and communicate to best co-parent our son. That's not ever going to change."

Monica sniffed. "How we know that Jake is Jason's? No one else ever saw the DNA test according to Sam, and all we have is your word. Everyone knows how much that is worth."

"It's logged in the hospital records, Monica, but if you are so concerned feel free to have Jason request another DNA test. The results are going to be the same," Elizabeth waved off the petty insult because she had heard worse from better people. "And you know what? I'm tired of having to justify every little thing I do to people like you."

"People like me?" Monica asked, offended.

"Hypocrites. The ones who pretend that they are saints, and never owning up to their own past while they constantly throw mine into my face trying to intimidate me with it," Elizabeth said, with utter contempt on her face. "You attack me because you feel slighted that you were left out of knowing about Jake, but I owe you nothing, Monica. I didn't back then, and I don't now. Jason is your son, he could have told you. Sam is your daughter-in-law, and she could have told you."

"You conned Jason into keeping Jake a secret," Monica hissed.

"Jason and I made a decision out of fear. It was a stupid one, but were given plenty of reasons to believe that Jake wasn't safe. You, Sam, Lucky were actual some of the main factors why we decided to keep Jake's paternity a secret," Elizabeth commented, perfectly pleasant. She was damned if she did, or damned if she didn't so she wasn't holding back anymore. "We were going to tell you, Monica, after Emily's death but you were horrible to Jason. With your drinking, we couldn't trust you not to do something drastic like try to take Jake away and expose his identity when Anthony Zarcharra was running around. Lucky…well, the reason for him should be obvious, and for Sam? Why don't you go ask her for yourself. See if the bastion of truth comes clean about her misdeeds. Now if that's all Monica, I need to get back to work instead of wasting time speaking to you."

"You cannot speak to me like. I'm the Chief of Staff," Monica countered, hotly. "I could have you suspended—"

"Do it," Elizabeth said.

"What?" Monica blinked.

"Do it, Monica. And when you do know that I will sue this hospital for everything it is worth. I have a number of witness of your misconduct and unprofessional behavior towards me over the last few years," Elizabeth stated, calmly. Her blue eyes bore into Monica's plastic face, and she gave a small smirk when the older woman said nothing. "If that's all?" She turned and walked away before Monica could up with more insults or get another word in edge wise.

Yep, that job at the gallery was looking sweeter by the minute.

* * *

Jason shifted on the hard plastic chair. There was not conceivable way to be comfortable on it, and suspected that it was actually some kind of torture device that Patrick brought in especially for him. He felt bad for the neurosurgeon because of the messy way that Sam called off their engagement practically two days after the Nurses Ball, and he knew the other man had been devastated by the abrupt change of heart that Sam had. He could only imagine how little Emma was doing after getting so close to Sam, and had started picking Sam as her stepmother. It had to be hard breaking, and it only made him more determined to see Jake and Cameron, to show them no matter what happens that they would still be important to him.

"We went over the files from your original accident, and thanks to Dr. Jones meticulous notes we think we were able to piece together what happened to you," Patrick stated, putting up the CATScans upon on the monitor and pointed at the damaged area on the first one. "As you can see a piece of metal from the car crash was lodged here in your frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is where our personality is formed, and it being damaged is what caused the sudden shift in your behavior. It also caused a lethal threat that waited years to present itself."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, with a deep frown. His memories of his Quartermaine years helped him understand a little bit of what he was hearing, but the pictures of the CATScans were still fuzzy to him. He wondered if in time that he would be able to look at pictures again.

"A blood clot held back by the piece of shrapnel that Dr. Jones couldn't take out without causing more damage. It was a ticking time bomb that was waiting to go off, and you're lucky that it didn't kill you," Patrick told him, seriously. "It could have easily got dislodged, and end up giving you a stroke."

"But it's…" Jason frowned. "It's not in the later scans from 2012."

"No, and I think that I know why," Patrick said, pointing at the underside of the brain where it was a little shaded. "Do you see this right here?"

"I can…sort of make it out," Jason said, with eyes narrowed. "That's the hippocampus, right?"

Patrick shared a quick look with Kevin before he nodded. "Yes, and the amygdala. The hippocampus is responsible for long term memory and the amygdala has many aspects. It is responsible for friendship, love, and affection as well as our fear, rage and aggression. The little blood clot that I said was a ticking time bomb? It ended up here," the doctor stated, tapping the scan with a deep set frown on his face. "Your body was breaking down and dissolving the blood clot which was the cause of your seizures during 2012. The damage done to the amygdala and hippocampus was a few years old by this time."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, an unsettled knot in the pit of his stomach.

"When the amygdala is damaged it's not a good thing. Lesions, such as this, of the amygdala, loose the affective meaning of the perception of outside information," Kevin Collins explained, with a sympathetic look on his face. "You would have been literally cut off from any tangible emotions. At this point in time, your own son could have came up to you and you wouldn't have been able to pinpoint whether you cared about him or not."

Jason swallowed, harshly. He knew that period of time felt like a haze, but he hadn't realized that brain damage had been the cause of it. He felt guilt inside of him after his memories returned about how he had acted back then, like he didn't really care or feel anything. He hated himself for it, and even though now knew he had a reason to why he acted the way he did, his guilt didn't lessen. He should have known something was wrong, but his own stubbornness kept him from getting help. Instead, with no emotions to guide him, he allowed himself to be yanked around by people who claimed to know what was best for him.

"Add into the damage that the hippocampus suffered, your memories were likely fuzzy and incomplete, and…"

"And I was a husk. I had no reason to care, or to wants of my own. I was just a puppet to be used, and the people closest to me at the time were Sam, Sonny, and Carly," Jason stated, his teeth gnashed together in his jaw. It suddenly all started to make sense. How easily he had just moved on with his life from Elizabeth, how easily he fell back into old patterns. It was literally because he couldn't remember his love for Elizabeth and the boys. He didn't care at all one way or another what he did, or who it really hurt, and that made his heart clench tightly in his chest. "How did that happen? How did the blood clot get dislodged to be able to do that kind of damage?"

"Your brain scans from 2005, the blood clot is still around the piece of shrapnel, so it has to have happened somewhere between then and 2012," Patrick told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "At any point, did you suffer head trauma? One that you didn't come to the hospital for?"

Jason groaned, the answer hitting him immediately. He pressed his head into the palms of his hands, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes. In 2009, Sam and I were in Mexico. We were in this shifty old building and the roof collapsed. I was injured, and there wasn't a hospital nearby," he stated, with a heaviness in his heart.

"And you didn't think to go to the hospital when you returned home?" Patrick said, with a look of disapproval.

"It's likely the damage was already done by then, Dr. Drake," Kevin reminded him, carefully. "With the impairment to his brain function, Jason wasn't in the right mind to make any decisions."

 _And Sam didn't care what state I was in as long as I was leaning on her for help. Sonny didn't care as long as I was his deadly mob enforcer. Carly didn't care as long as I was at her beck and call,_ Jason thought, with a sickening feelings spreading through him. "Am I still damaged?" The words fell from his mouth before he can help them. His stomach rolled remembering all the times he had been called 'brain dead' and 'anger boy', but he had known back then that wasn't all he was. But after Mexico, he had become exactly what the insults claimed he was.

"No. The blood clot did not lasting damage. It merely stunted the functions of those parts of the brain until your body naturally broke it down. The scans after the surgery that I did removing the microchip and the fragment from the accident with AJ show a healthy brain," Patrick stated, with frown upon his brow. "There is scarring still. That's unavoidable, but your brain is functioning the way it was meant to."

"And that why I am here," Kevin took over from there. "You are dealing with a tremendous amount of suppressed emotions, Jason. Years of it that you could probably deal with that is being heaped upon you, and now are manifesting as these night terrors that you've been experiencing. The reason why you can't remember them is because whatever they represent are actions or memories that are unthinkable to you. Perhaps a choice that you made that was something your conscious knew was wrong, but your mind at the time couldn't realize that. But the only real way is to get some therapy," Dr. Collins stated, with a firm, but kind tone in his voice.

Jason sighed, heavily.

"I know that you don't like the idea of therapy, or talking to a doctor, but if you don't…these nightmares could get worse and start affecting your health in other ways," Kevin told him, with a light frown. "And eventually it will affect the people around you, too."

Jason tunneled his fingers through his hair. He knew that his past actions—actions that now seemed to abhorrent to him—were coming back to haunt him, and part of him felt that he deserved to suffer the price of it all. "I'll go to therapy, but…I would like to do it at Mercy or another facility," he stated, quietly. He needed to deal with his past, so he could move on with Elizabeth and cut the strings that pulled them apart. "I need to handle this without everyone jumping in and making the situation…more messy than it's already going to be."

* * *

After finishing typing up her two weeks' notice on the laptop, Elizabeth sent in an email to Epiphany and Monica. It took her several seconds to hint the send button, her finger had hovered over the mouse with indecision churning inside of her stomach, but in the end, she knew that this was the right step forward for her. It would sadden her to leave the hospital because despite the rough time, there were many fond memories that she had built there with friends and family. Closing the laptop, Elizabeth began to rise out of her seat when a knock came from the front door. A pang of pierced through her stomach, and indecision flooded through her veins. Another sharp knock rapped on the other side of the door, and Elizabeth gave a light groan.

She made her way to the door, and opened it to find Jason standing there.

"I told you that we were going to talk," Jason stated, with a wry smile.

Elizabeth sighed, heavily and waved him inside. "I suppose there is not changing your mind," she said, with an uncomfortable pinch in her chest. She had been dreading this conversation, and knew that Jason wouldn't leave her be until he had his say. Casting a look at the driveway, she turned giving him a strange look. "Where is your vehicle?"

A faint color stirred on his cheeks. "I parked down the street," he answered, sheepishly.

"Afraid that people will talk?" Elizabeth asked, archly. She remembered the sneaking around they did, desperate to steal what precious moments that they could steal, but it just made the pain of parting all that more hard to face. She didn't want to feel like that again. Like she was a dirty little secret.

"No, it's not that," Jason said, his tone stern. His eyes flickered across her face, a hint of guilt in his eyes as if he knew exactly what road her thoughts had strayed. "I just…I just don't want people to give you a rough time because of me, alright?"

The burst of pain dissolved as quickly as it had stirred, and Elizabeth sighed. "People are always going to give me a rough time, Jason," she told him, with a pinched expression. "They always have. You are just the newest excuse that they have to do so."

Jason frowned, his brow knotted together. "Who has been using me as an excuse?"

Elizabeth froze, realizing she shouldn't have said anything. As much as she wasn't Monica nor Sam's greatest fan, she had no desire to try to tattletale on them to Jason. It would only make things worse, and give them validation and justification for their ridiculous accusations and threats. "No one I can't handle," she said, rolling her neck to alleviate the tension gathering at the base of her skull. "Would you like some tea? I can make us some."

A sound of a nice cup of warm tea sounded wonderful, and she could use the small comfort for a no doubt hard conversation.

"I'll make it," Jason offered. He was the one pushing it here, and was putting her on edge. The reason for her hesitance was because of the distance put between these last few months, and he had to make the effort to put her at ease.

Elizabeth gave him a long look.

"What?" He said, with an eyebrow arched. "I made it all the time when I was living here as Jake Doe."

"Yes, but…" Elizabeth hesitated.

"Just because I know that I'm Jason doesn't mean I forgot how to make tea, Elizabeth," he smiled, teasingly. "Or the fact that you like it with honey."

Elizabeth bit back a smile, the familiarity of the banter would send her down a slippery slope that she knew she wouldn't be able to climb back out of. "Alright. You can make the tea," she allowed, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"The kitchen is exactly the same right? You haven't done any spring cleaning right?"

"Everything is in the same spot," Elizabeth said, faintly amused. "And it's autumn."

Jason just smiled at her before he headed into the kitchen.

Elizabeth watched him go, and folded her arms over her chest. She was glad that school had started this week, and the boys were at classes were right now. She didn't want Jason being here to give them false hope, and if the conversation got painful, she didn't want the boys to be worried. She heard Jason moving around in the kitchen, and felt her anxiety building with each passing minute. Words that she longed to say trembled on her tongue, and it was so hard to yank them back. She rubbed her arms to drive away the cold feeling that washed over, and she jumped when a loud knock came from her front door. A split second of panic made her glance at the kitchen before she looked look to her front door with confusion in her gaze. She had suspected Jason would come over, but she hadn't expected that anyone else.

Cautiously, she walked to the door and pulled it open. It took every ounce of control not to slam the door back shut. "Sam," Elizabeth said, her tone just loud enough to carry into the kitchen. She knew it was loud enough for Jason to hear her, and when he didn't come out, she continued, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make sure you stay the hell away from my family," Sam said, without preamble. She crossed her arms over her chest, and gave Elizabeth a look like she considered the nurse was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Jason froze inside of the kitchen, he stood just off the side of the threshold out of Sam's sight. Part of him wanted to walk into the living room, but his gut told him to wait and see what would happen.

"I haven't been near your family, Sam," Elizabeth said, tilting her head to the side. It was obvious that Sam had no idea Jason was here, otherwise she wouldn't be acting this way within hearing range of him. "So I'm not sure where you get off coming to my house, and acting like I've done some great wrong to you."

"Monica told me about how you were using Jake and Cameron to play Jason," Sam said, with a sharp and bitter smile. "You know Jason's weakness for kids, and you sure didn't waste time to sink your claws in him when you realized that he was Jason."

"I think you have yourself confused with me. I cared about Jason long before I knew his identity. I even defended him against you, and I recall you even saying that he was nothing like Jason. How quickly you changed your tune when the truth came out," Elizabeth said, placing her hands upon her hips. She idly wondered how Sam was still a PI when all she seemed to do was run around to throw snide remarks at Elizabeth. "And I have kept my distance from Jason ever since then. The only conversation we've had so far have been about the boys, and if Jason would like to spend time with them. I haven't forced my attention on Jason. I haven't tried to seduce him, or make him obligated to me. That's all you."

Jason grimaced because it was the truth. He had adamantly told Sam that he wanted to take everything one step at a time, but the brunette would always try to seduce him—failing every time—or try to play on their history to get him to move back into the penthouse. But half of their history, Jason was not really himself and all his actions were just strings being pulled. He cared about Sam once, but that was before she watched Jake get kidnapped and the fallout of that. The reunion and relationship thereafter that Sam waxed poetry about had been little more than a lie, and he feared what her reaction would be. And he feared that what aftermath followed that Elizabeth would be in the crossfire because when Sam realized that he never stopped loving Elizabeth, he knew it was going to get ugly.

"He's my husband. He married me, Elizabeth," Sam said, waving her hand where the ring sat. She looked smug and superior as her dark eyes flickered towards Elizabeth bare hand. "Something you could never get Jason to do for you. Do you really think you have a chance with him? Do you really think that this last year matters in the grand scheme of things?" Sam let out a mocking laugh, and then pointed a finger at Elizabeth. "If you had just left things alone, I wouldn't have to resort to this you know."

Elizabeth gave her a suspicious look. "Resort to what?"

"If you don't back off, I'll have to go to the DA—you know Ric, you almost fiancé?—and tell him about a certain testimony in which you perjured yourself. You know when you claimed Jason wasn't the father of Jake?" Sam stated, with a wicked glee on her face. She had spent hours thinking of a way to get Elizabeth out of her way, and the perjury charge came to her in a split second of brilliance. She was certain she could Sonny to bribe a judge to make the sentence even more damning, if the nurse pressed it because Sonny didn't like how Jason wasn't taking to his old life and blamed Elizabeth, too. "I bet it hasn't crossed his mind to use it to get back at you, but Ric was never the brightest crayon in the box. A helpful nudge would certainly push him into calling for your arrest."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" Elizabeth said, with a scoff.

"I like to think of it as persuasion," Sam chuckled, certain she had backed the other woman into a corner. "You should have stayed the hell out of my way. Now I'm going to teach you a lesson."

Incensed, Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest and gave Sam her best bitchest glare. "You know what, Sam? You are all hot air with no substance, so take your threats shove them where the sun doesn't shine and get the hell out of my house," the nurse stated, with a saccharine smile.

Sam didn't move. "You should take the offer."

"No."

"You'll be ruined."

"Bring it on, Sam. Better women have tried and failed to ruin my life. What you will do won't be any more annoying than a fly in ointment. Hardly anything to cry over," Elizabeth stated, not in the least bit intimidated by Sam's threats. The other woman thought she had the upper hand, but she had a vast overestimation of herself in this matter.

Sam gave a low chuckle. "You think that you are so high and mighty, don't you that? That you none of your sins can bring you down, but like I said all those years ago, your lies and manipulations will bring this fragile house of cards down around you."

"All my lies, Sam, have been out in the open for years. I have nothing to hide, and nothing to be ashamed of. My past doesn't have a hold on me, but yours does you," Elizabeth countered, with an eyebrow arched upward. "Try and disparage me all you want, but we both know it's not going to work. You don't scare me."

"Oh, but I should. You see, you no prove of my past wrongs. Spinelli got rid of that evidence a long time ago, and other than really Patrick who else do you have on your side? No one will be willing to testify to what I've done. You have no way of knowing where Maureen is at, and by the time the court is finished with you, you'll be in rotting in prison for a very long time. Stuck being someone's little bitch, or maybe be tossed around from person to person," Sam smirked, with a vindictive gleam in her eyes. "And while you're stuck in there, I'll get my spot back in Jason's life. I'll be the only mommy Jake knows while your other bastard gets dropped off in whatever social service hell that'll take him. By the time you get out you will have nothing, Elizabeth and be nothing."

Jason had enough, and appeared in the kitchen doorway. He watched Sam's eyes flicker towards the movement, and saw the dawning shock when she realized that it was him. Her mouth dropped open, moving up and down like a fish before she swung an accusing glare at Elizabeth. "You bitch," Sam snapped, her cheeks hot with a flush. She didn't know how much Jason had heard, but by the thunderous expression on his face it had been enough to damn her.

"I thought I was the queen bitch, Sam, but you take the prize," Elizabeth said, with a small smirk. She couldn't deny the sense of satisfaction that welled up inside of her when she realized that Sam was getting her just desserts. It had been a long time coming in Elizabeth's opinion. "And I didn't do anything, Sam. This," she gestured towards Sam, and then towards Jason, "is all your own doing. Didn't even need to lift a finger."

Sam nearly lunged at the other woman, but Jason put himself between them. Her dark eyes lifted towards Jason's face, and immediately filled with tears. "Jason, please, let me explain," she stated, her chin wobbled. Her tears always got Jason to calm down, and she knew that if she could get him calm then she could salvage this.

"Explain what, Sam? That you called Cameron a bastard? That you intended to blackmail Elizabeth to stay away from me? That you are willing to have her thrown into jail if she doesn't and have her kids taken away?" Jason glowered down at Sam, and any doubts he had about her vanished from his mind. "I see now that your redemption that you constantly swear upon was just an act. An act that I am ashamed that I ever stupid enough to believe."

"No. No, Jason. I am changed," Sam pleaded with him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I swear that I am. I just…I just can't stand that she is coming in between us once again. She is stealing you away from me, and you are just letting her. I got desperate, and had—"

"A moment of weakness? Like you did when you watched Jake get kidnapped?" Jason asked, shortly. He stared down at Sam with a dispassionate stare, and his arms crossed over his chest. He couldn't believe he ever fell for those crocodile tears, and his jaw clenched tightly.

"Wha…" Sam faltered, then glared at Elizabeth. "What have you been telling him?"

Elizabeth didn't say anything. Her eyes were pinned on Jason's back, unblinking as her heart thumped in her chest. Her knees felt weak like they would collapse from beneath her, but somehow she found the strength to keep standing.

"Elizabeth didn't have to tell me anything. I remember everything," Jason said, nipping that in the bud before it could turn ugly. He stared down at Sam, any kernel of sympathy that he had for her vanished in light of her blackmail attempt. He had intended to break his choice gently, but now he saw that wouldn't do. He was going to have to brutal to get Sam to see the truth, if she even could. "And I also know why that for the last few years before my death was faked that I made the poor choices that I made."

Sam's mouth dropped open. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A blood clot damaged a part of my brain that controls my feelings and memories. It happened when that rooftop fell on top of me in Mexico," Jason stated, with a deep frown. He could see the emotions swirl inside of Sam, and the biggest of them was denial.

"No. Don't you dare," Sam snarled, realizing in a second what he was getting at. "Don't you dare!"

"Sam, I never intended to get back together with you. I let you live because you helped save Jake, but I never forgave you," Jason told her, being painfully honest. Feelings couldn't be spared in a situation like this. "I was helping you with a case because I knew that it would keep Elizabeth away. I knew that she wouldn't be able to stomach seeing you around me, and if she was away from me that would mean she was safe."

Sam shook her head. "I don't understand why you are lying like this," she said, her voice rising in pitch and tone. From head to toe, she trembled and tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I don't understand why you are hurting me like this."

"The truth hurts, Sam. I know that you believed that I loved you, and that I had forgiven you, but that wasn't how it was. I was still in love with Elizabeth, and knew I would always be. Then…" His eyes darted towards Elizabeth who looked as pale and shaken as Sam was. He drew out a long breath before he continued, "Then the head injury happened, and all of that love went away. It was buried underneath this unfeeling shell of a man that didn't know how to care, and didn't know _why_ to care, so I became a lapdog that was dragged around on a leash."

Elizabeth's head was spinning. She always thought Jason's demeanor had shifted around that time, but giving the distance between them, she never thought it her place to say something on it. The way he acted just wasn't the Jason that she had known, and her heart hardened against him. She had been so angry that he could just waltz away from all the memories and go right back to Sam that she hadn't looked deeper into why Jason was doing the things he was. He had been putty to anyone close to him, constantly being molded into whatever person needed him to be without able to put thoughts or feelings into anything he did. Elizabeth sank into the kitchen chair, trying to process this information as her heart pounded beneath her chest wildly.

"Because that's what it was," Jason said, with a hint of regret. "I would have never gotten back together with you, or put any of us through that if I had been in the right state of min—"

"Stop it, Jason!" Sam yelled, angrily. "I can't believe you right now! I can't believe after everything we have been through that you would dumb it down to a head injury, and play like you never loved me. We are married! We have a son together! And now, you want to say all of that was a mistake?" The brunette was practically vibrating with rage, and her chest rose with wrathful pants.

Jason just gave her a sympathetic and resigned look.

"No…no, I'm not buying this act. I don't what is going on with you," Sam swallowed, feeling like her heart had been tore up and shredded inside of her chest. "I don't know what this bitch has on you, Jason, to make you say these things, but I know that you love me. A love like ours just doesn't go away. It's eternal. We are the phoenix and the dragon."

Elizabeth scoffed, glaring at the brunette. She should have seen that accusation coming, but she didn't even bother say anything. Her worries lay with the man in the room, and her heart tried to unravel if he was speaking truth. If he remembered, if he never stopped loving her…Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself, as if to shield herself from the feelings that swelled inside of her threatening to consume her heart if she wasn't careful.

Jason grimaced. He wanted to point out that if he really cared about Sam then he wouldn't have allowed her to settle for a marriage—that he wasn't entirely sure was legal—done at a Chinese restaurant. "Sam, this has nothing to do with Elizabeth. I'm sorry that this truth is a bitter pill, but that doesn't make it any less true," he sighed, having a bad feeling that Sam was going to do something. Something extreme like she had when she hired those two men in the park, and he made a mental note to call Francis. "Trying to make her a villain for you to conquer isn't going to make a love that was never there come back. It's horrible and painful situation, but we don't have to make it anymore hurtful than it already is."

Sam gave him a dark look. "It's a little late for that, don't you think?" She said, hollowly. She gave Elizabeth one last sneer before she stormed out of the house, and the door slammed so hard behind it that it rattled the pictures on the walls.

For a few seconds, silence reigned in the house. Finally, Elizabeth drew in a shaky breath. "Well, it's a good thing that the boys are at school," she said, her tone light and too calm. She rose up out of the chair, bracing her palms on the table when her legs almost folded like they were made out of jelly. "I would have hated for them to have been here to hear all of that."

"Elizabeth…" Jason looked at her. He hated bringing this down on her shoulders without warning. He wanted to be gentle with his explanation, but the boiling anger he felt for Sam—anger that had been locked up for so long—snapped when he heard attempt to bully Elizabeth, and say such a thing about Cameron.

"It's not real, is it? The story you told, Sam, because that…" Elizabeth felt her eyes fill with tears, and that pain that she had thought she had moved so far past burned anew within her veins. If he had never stopped loving her—he had just forgotten because of a brain injury—then she didn't know where that left them. Her heart didn't want to believe it. Her heart couldn't believe it. "It was just a story to try to…to do what, Jason? What do you gain from spinning that kind of story—" She took a step away from him, and then another. She had to put distance between them, and between this before it was too late.

"You smell like snow."

Elizabeth felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, and she stopped abruptly. Her eyes were wide as her hand flew over her heart, and she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her heart pounding inside of her chest, her throat bobbed painfully before she turned around slowly to face Jason. "What did you just say?"

"I said you smell like snow," he said, his tone gentle and a small smile on his face.

Tears filled her eyes even as she fought them back, and she let out a long shaky breath. "Snow doesn't smell," she told him, her tone quiet, defensive tone hampered by the cracking of her voice. The way he was looking at her—the glint in his eyes, the way that he smiled—it was the Jason, she remembered all those years ago.

"Yes, it does," Jason said, softly. "It smells like you."

A sob erupted from the back of her throat, and she placed her fingers over her mouth. It took her several seconds to compose herself, and she held up a hand when Jason tried to close the distance between them. He stopped only a couple of feet away, his hands twitched at his sides as if there was nothing more than he wanted to do in this world than reach out and bring her close. "Y-you remember?" She asked, her voice so small against the rough wind of the oncoming storm. "You _really_ remember?"

"Yes," Jason breathed out.

And it was in that moment, Elizabeth felt the whole world change.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER!

 **Next Chapter: Elizabeth and Jason have a conversation about the past, and some hatches a plan to bring them down before they can even begin.**

 **Jason Brain Condition: I'm not a doctor. I only know the barest knowledge of brain activity, and what I didn't know I looked up in books and on the web. I'm sure that this kind of situation is plausible, but it's fiction so my pseudo-medical stands. If the GH writers can make up a procedure to let Sam have babies on the show than my "brain damage" theory can work in fanfiction.**

 **So here's how it's going to go, when I get Jason's two chapters done, I'm going to hit the (Complete) button again. Once I start posting the Loki Chapters, it'll be switched back to (Incomplete) until his last chapter and then change it back to complete. Then when I start adding the next story, I'll do the same thing. And so and so forth.**

 **Carly and Jason's talk is taken from the show, but I've added onto it. :D**

 **Here's the line up for each short completed story:**

Jason—Our Hearts Can't Hold the Truth

Ch. 2 (Chapter One "Without it's Home, a Heart is Lost")

Ch. 3 (Chapter Two "Where We Come to Rest")

Loki—Of Frost and Flames

Ch. 4 (Chapter One "Our Past Set Ablaze")

Ch. 5 (Chapter Two "The Prolonged Winter")

Ch. 6 (Chapter Three "The Thawing of Cold Hearts")

More pending.

RRs are appreciated.


	3. Jason - Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS. This is for amusement purposes only.

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. **AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy** , but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo for the favs!

And I want to thank kcke2pen, ilovedana53, Guest 1, arcoiris0502, Guest 2, trini12180, notenoughlove, retiredlady, C, kikimoo, Pamela, lrobinson01 for all the lovely reviews.

Guest Review:

Guest 1: Thank you. Oh, Jason will have some words with Monica. Don't worry.

Guest 2: Thank you for the wonderful review. I wanted Elizabeth and Jason to stand up and defend their relationship instead of taking the beat down. It's not a lot of romance, but we clearly have Liason making the decision to be together. I'm glad that you like it so much!

C: Thank you! The Carly and Jason scene was one that I had fun writing.

Pamela: Glad you like it. She really is. He's not related to GH, but to Marvel Comics. He is brother of Thor, and the God of Mischief. Something about pairing him with Elizabeth just tickles me. :D

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

"WHERE WE COME TO REST"

Steam rose from the two tea cups that sat untouched on the coffee table as Elizabeth ended the phone call with a quick good-bye, and then sat the phone back into its cradle before she nervously made her way to the couch where Jason sat with his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes staring sightlessly out at something she couldn't see. "I called Georgie. She is going to pick the kids up from school, and take them to the park for a little bit. That'll give us a little more time to talk," she told him, settling back onto the couch with her arms wrapped around her midsection.

A defensive position, Jason recognized and he felt his heart in his throat. She shouldn't have to feel on the defense with him. She should feel safe, but after all the lost years and mistakes, the safety of each other had been compromised. It would take a while to build it back, but Jason knew that he had to try. He had to try this time and make up for everything he had done and everything he didn't do. "It was like being under water. Foggy and unclear. All those years, but I never thought to question it. Not then, and I struggled with it when I first found out I was Jason. I didn't like that man who moved through each day like playing acting to some script that lacked any heart, and I didn't understand how I could turn into him," Jason divulged, a morose expression on his face. He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, and gave a sharp shake of his head. "I'm sorry. The guilt for all the mistakes—"

"You weren't yourself, Jason," Elizabeth said, lightly. It was hard to reconcile that inside of her mind. The pain from his actions had always been inside of her heart, darkening it over the years and freezing her from the inside out. Now, she was uncertain if knowing this reason behind his actions would thaw it, but that didn't mean she could allow him to be guilty over something that had been out of his hands. "I'm a nurse. I know what a brain injury like yours means. It's hard to…to accept that, and it'll take time to sink in, but I won't hold that past against you."

"You should. I do," Jason gave her a deep frown. "Elizabeth, I didn't care. I didn't feel. I was this hollow man. I look back over those years, and it tears me up now. All the choices I made, all the mistakes…" His blue eyes were clouded with self-loathing, and horrific pain. "When we thought Jake died, I didn't feel grief, Elizabeth. I didn't feel saddened. I just mimicked the grief following everyone's lead in a situation because I didn't know how to react. When you were in the hospital, after Lisa Niles threw you overboard and you were begging me to find Jake…I hugged you, but I couldn't have cared less that you were in distress. I just did what I thought was called for, but I didn't do it because I cared."

Elizabeth stared at him with wide eyes, and her teeth sank into her bottom lip.

Tears clung to Jason's eyelashes, and his throat bobbed. "And that…that _sickens_ me. To think that I was so cold, that I was the brain dead thug that Taggert had always accused me of being," he whispered out, letting his eyes fall closed. "Now I feel all that pain, all that grief that couldn't reach me, and I knew I had to come to you first. I had to explain to you about this first because you were the one that my actions in those years hurt the most."

"Jason, I don't think…" Her voice broke off, and she couldn't find it again.

"I didn't love Sam. I know I wouldn't have gotten back together with her if I could have remembered all that she had done, and my anger towards her. I wouldn't have handed the organization back to Sonny, and so many other things…" Jason peeled his eyes open, and after a moment reached for her hand. A knot loosened in his chest when Elizabeth slid her fingers in between hers, and he clutched her like it was a lifeline.

"Is that why you have the nightmares? All your repressed emotions?" Elizabeth guessed, softly.

Jason nodded. "Dr. Collins thinks so. He's referring me to a specialist at Mercy."

"Mercy?" Elizabeth looked faintly surprised.

"I didn't want Monica interfering. She's my mother, but she is…overbearing, and once she thinks she has the right of a situation, it's hard to convince her otherwise," Jason said, with a smile that looked more like a grimace. "She would tell Sam, and anyone else she thought could 'help' me. The fact is that I need space to deal with all the memories and emotions."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed lightly. "Then why are you telling me?"

Jason quirked up a brow at her.

"If you need space, then why tell me? Wouldn't I complicate matters?" She asked him.

"Maybe, but only in the best way." Jason smiled at her, and then his smile dimmed. "You are the only one who really had my back. The only who didn't judge my choices even if you didn't agree with them. You would have called me out, you know? You knew that I would never make the choices that I had made, and would have said something. But I used danger, and had pushed you so far away by the time it happened…"

Elizabeth tilted her head, considering him. He acted like the Jason she knew, but there was softness to him. A gentle side to balance his unyielding nature that he expressed freely now instead of hiding it away, only showing it to a trusted few, and some of the iciness around her heart melted. He really had changed—or more accurately, he had gained a vital piece of himself back. "It wasn't just your choice, Jason," she told him, not allowing him to take sole responsibility to that. "I could have fought you on that. Could have proven that the danger was just an excuse in the end, but it was easier to give up. It was easier to walk away then risk my heart, and I hated myself for that. I made you believe that the danger was an impossible obstacle for us so many times. I even used it to justify lying about Jake's paternity and even used it to beg you to let Lucky raise Jake."

"You were looking out for everyone, Elizabeth," Jason whispered, placing his hand on her knee. "You were trying to keep everyone from suffering the fallout from the night of the blackout. I may not have always gotten why you made those decisions, but I knew that you were doing what you felt was right."

"I really thought I was, but now I realize that I was hiding. I was thinking about doing everything to keep everyone happy that I was so selfless that I became selfish, Jason," she admitted, swallowing the painful lump in the back of her throat. "I thought if I could find a way to not destroy our lives that I asked you to give up your child, hurting you in a way I never thought I would. It was the worst mistake I have ever made. I should have realized what it would do to you, but I was so narrow focused on this image of what I thought would be best that I didn't stop to think about your feelings until after the decision was made. I wanted to take it back…so many times, but I didn't want you to feel like I was using Jake to toy with your emotions. I didn't want to be another Carly."

"You could never be Carly, Elizabeth," Jason reassured her.

Elizabeth gave a small watery laugh, reaching up to wipe away the tears.

"And what happened back then…it's never been all on your shoulders, and if I have ever made you feel like that then I am sorry. I had a choice. I could have stepped up as Jake's father, but I…got conned just like you. We were so afraid of hurting other people, and tried to protect everyone we didn't realize the damage we were doing to ourselves," Jason sighed, heavily.

"And what happened afterwards isn't solely on you," Elizabeth told him, knowing he needed to hear this. "I may not have been close enough to you to truly realize something was off, but Carly or Sonny should have. Hell, Sam even should have. They've known you for years, and the fact that they didn't notice that something was off, or didn't care to…" Anger burst in her gut, and leaned forward wrapping her arms around Jason in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what it was like."

Jason let out a shaky breath, before he wrapped an arm around her waist and holding her tightly to him. "It was like I was sleepwalking, and just following a path set up by others, but I share responsibility for that, too. I could have gotten help, knowing that my emotions weren't right and that my memory was off. Instead, I allowed myself to stay asleep for too long, and allowed too much harm to happen because of it.

"But I'm awake now, Elizabeth," Jason promised, squeezing her hand. "And I ready to start making up for my past. Starting with you, if you'll let me."

Elizabeth's chin quivered, and she blinked away the tears gathered in her eyes as she tried to find the right answer to give him. She wanted to trust him, and believe what he said. His actions earlier with Sam had given her some hope, but she wasn't sure that hope was enough to risk her heart again on him. "Jason, I don't know what to say," she whispered out, sadly.

"You don't have to have a definitive answer yet," Jason told her. "Just know that whatever you decide, I'm a part of your life. I'm not going to walk away simply because we aren't together. You mean too much to me, and I'm tired of fighting that. You are my something more, and no matter what happens from here on out. That's never going to change."

* * *

Sonny's head throbbed. He stood there listening for a half an hour to Carly sobbing about how she messed up, and now Jason would never talk to her again. After that, he managed to get her to calm down enough to repeat what she had said so he could actually understand it. She relayed the situation one more time, and Sonny let out a heavy sigh. "What were you thinking, Carly? You know that Jason cares about Elizabeth. He always will."

"She isn't good enough for him, Sonny," Carly whined, frustrated.

"Isn't that for him to decide?" Sonny asked.

Carly shot him a glare. "You know his vision is screwy when he looks at her. He's sees the delicate little angel that needs to be sheltered and protected. He doesn't see the vindictive witch that is underneath the façade."

Sonny bit his lower lip to keep back the statement that it was Carly who looked at Elizabeth with an askew vision instead of Jason. "Carly, that is something Jason has to see for himself. You can't make him see it," he pointed out, reasonably.

"She'll break his heart again…" Carly said, plaintively.

"He broke her heart, too."

"Sonny—"

"You know this is true, Carly. You were there when I faked my death. You saw how Elizabeth clung on for months to each tiny bit that Jason would give her, and how she worried herself sick about him. I may not like how she walked out on him, either, but he didn't give her a reason to stay. He didn't even ask her," Sonny commented, his tone sharp. "Now the whole mess after the black out…I can't say that Elizabeth made the right choices, but to be fair, I don't think anyone did. Jason could have manned up just as easily as Elizabeth could have stopped hiding. They hurt each other, Carly. You can't act like Jason is some victim when he holds some of the blame."

Carly's cheeks puffed up, slightly red. "Jason did nothing to deserve to have his child taken away from him. No matter what reasons Elizabeth had, it doesn't justify what she did,"

"Carly, you know that I love you, but you don't have any right to judge Elizabeth for that," Sonny stated, not unkindly.

"Oh, I am aware of how hypocritical I sound," Carly vented, angrily. "But you know for all my hatred of Elizabeth Webber, I thought she was better than that. I can't ever forgive her for hurting him. I can't let that go because she should be held accountable for all of it. I can't sit here and let Jason waste years on a woman who never chose him in the long run. She isn't good enough for him, Sonny. You can't change my mind about this, and I will find a way to prove it to Jason."

"How are you going to do that when you lied to him and now he wants nothing to do with you?" Sonny asked, with a frown.

Carly flinched as if he had physically struck her. "He comes back. He always comes back. He'll cool off, and once all his anger is gone, I'll go talk to him. He has always forgiven me."

Sonny smiled thinly, and pulled his wife into a hug. He didn't want to tell her that he had seen Jason slipping out of their lives for a long time now. Jason just couldn't fit the mold of his old life, having grown beyond that. He knew that Carly was firm in her beliefs that Elizabeth was horrible, and that Jason needed saving, but Sonny could see it all more clearly now than he had before. Jason had always dreamed of a life with Elizabeth, to be a family with her and her boys, and now he had a chance to break from the chains that held him back.

And Sonny knew that there was no going back to the way things were before.

* * *

Ava Jerome tapped the edges of her scotch glass, biting back the smirk that would have given her away. Instead, she molded her expression into a caring and benign expression. "Now, Sam, I have to say that this is a surprise," she drawled, tilting her head to the side as she studied the distraught brunette. "It's rather late for you to be visiting your dear old aunty? Shouldn't you be at home with your son?"

"Danny is fine. He is with Monica," Sam stated, with a shake of her head. "I came here because I didn't know who else to turn to now. I would have went to my father, but he…he can't provide me with the help that I need now."

"Oh?" Ava's brow ticked upward. "And what kind of help is that?"

Sam took a sip of the water from her glass, and swallowed it down harshly. Indecision filled her in this moment, because she knew that if she chose to go through with this then there was no going back. She knew that Jason would forgive with time, and he would remember how remarkable they were together. But they couldn't reconnect with Saint Elizabeth in her way. "I need to get rid of som—a problem," she corrected, firmly.

"Get rid of a problem? Why come to me?" Ava blinked, all too innocently.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "You know why."

Ava smirked, slightly. "Let's say for argument's sake that I do. Why come to me of all people? Surely there are people that you trust more than I to help take care of…this little problem of yours? Like Sonny for example," the blond said, after finishing her drink. She set the glass on the table, and leaned languidly back in her chair.

"Because Sonny has known she is a problem for years, and never has done anything about it. He is so egotistical that he thinks that Jason is more loyal to him than anyone else, and can't acknowledge the threat that she is," Sam spat, angrily.

"She?" Ava asked.

"Elizabeth Webber."

Ava's face gave none of her surprise away. She had known her _niece_ had a rocky history with Elizabeth Webber, but had thought such things in the past. It appears that the new and improved version of Jason Morgan had set his sights on a much higher prize than the con artist that warmed his bed. A fact that had Sam enraged enough to make a hasty bargain, and Ava inwardly crowed. She had been trying to find a way to solve the problem that was Sam McCall for months now, and the answer had literally been handed to her by the woman herself. "Oh? I know that she has a history and child with Jason Morgan. It must be hard for him to feel such confliction between you and her," Ava stated, with a careful tone.

Sam's face flushed. "There is no confliction. She is blackmailing Jason into being with her. I won't let her get away with stealing his life, and I'm going to make sure she never does it again," she said, with a wrathful tone.

"You want her to be exposed?" Ava asked, tapping her fingers to her chin. She doubted the nurse would actually do something like that. From what she saw the woman had a moral fiber that was undeterred and a big bleeding heart that others often used against her. It was a bonus to Ava that the nurse had treated her like a normal person, and had showed her kindness without strings attached. Elizabeth claimed no sainthood, and accepted her mistakes in a way that was rather refreshing given all the hypocrites that roamed around this town, present company included. Needless to say, Ava liked the nurse and wasn't about to help Sam in manner. Not that Sam would know that.

"No. It's not enough," Sam shook her head. "I want her gone."

"Isn't that a little extreme? Surely exposing her lie with drive Jason far away from her arms and straight into yours?" Ava questioned, lightly. She knew that she was a monster. All the things she had done, and all the things she had justified, Ava was self-aware of what she was and owned it so no one could use it against her. Sam, however, was blinded to the raw hatred swirling inside of her and the ugliness that she presented in this moment. It would be her downfall.

"She stole my life time and time again. She has the hold on Jason, and no matter what I've done, I can never remove the claws she has sunk into him. I can't trust that Jason won't forgive her somewhere down the road, and let her have a foothold in our lives to try to steal him away again," Sam commented, knowing that she had made the right decision coming to Ava. She couldn't let Elizabeth continue to be a factor in her life. She had to sever the ties that bound Jason and Elizabeth together forever, and then she would have all of Jason's heart. "I have to stop her once and for all."

"I see…" Ava said, slowly. She sat up and . "I'll tell you what Sam. I will figure out a way to get rid of Elizabeth for you. I know that she is a little artist. Perhaps I can tempt her with a job at my art gallery," she stated, not mention that she already offered the job to Elizabeth.

"Yes," Sam said, eyes alit. "You can keep an eye on her there, and keep her far away from Jason while I try to figure out how she manipulated him into leaving me."

Ava wanted to point out that Jason hadn't been Sam's since his return. The only one that he had left was Elizabeth in this scenario, but refrained because she needed to lure Sam into a false sense of security. "Of course, and after a few weeks, I will come up with some trip that will take Elizabeth out of town. There…she will suffer an unfortunate accident, and you can be here for Jason to console."

Sam nodded. It sounded like a good plan, but Ava hadn't yet stated a price. "What do you want in return?"

"What do I want in return? Darling girl, we are family. In my line of business, family protects family no matter what the cost. I am just doing what Julian would do for Kiki if roles were reserved," Ava stated, with such sincerity that she honestly should have earned an Oscar for such a performance.

Sam stared, searching for deceit, but could not find one. She didn't know she was playing poker with a woman far above her caliber and would not see it until it was too late. Sam flashed a grateful smile at Ava, feeling confident that her life would go back to the way it was meant to be in just a short few weeks. "Thank you, Ava," Sam told her, relieved. "You have no idea how much it means to have you on my side."

"Think nothing of it," Ava said, with a smile.

Sam got up and gave Ava a quick goodbye before she left the apartment. Ava stared at the door, her gentle expression morphing into one of cold amusement before she rose out of her chair and walked to the end of the table where Sam's glass sat. She picked up the glass with a delicate hand, and let out a small chuckle. "Think nothing of it, Sammy, because it is I that own you the thanks," Ava smirked, staring at the lip stain on the glass that Sam had drunk from. "You have given me all that I need to prove that you are a nothing more than fake, and once I do that then it won't be Jason you'll have to be worried about."

* * *

The next few days flew by in a flurry of activity. After confiding in Jason about the gallery, he had supported her, but told her to always keep cautious around Ava Jerome. While over the last few months the Jerome family seemed to break from the criminal activity and seedy underbelly of Port Charles didn't mean that it was truly so. Appearances could be deceiving, and Jason pointed out that Sonny had tried and failed many times to do what Julian and Ava were doing. Elizabeth promised to take care, and made arrangements with Ava to start after she was done at the hospital. Jason took the boys to the park, but it was cut short by Sam showing up. While he couldn't exactly tell Sam to leave since he had Danny with him, he didn't get the quality time with all three boys like he had hoped to, and he had noticed that Jake was especially cold to Sam the entire time. It made that dark, foreboding cloud over his head become stormier, but he couldn't dwell on it for long.

His therapy appointments were going well, but he knew he caught sight of Spinelli with Maxie outside of the office. He was tempted to confront them, but decided against it. Letting them think they had some kind of upper hand might keep them from going to Sam, and keep Sam from doing something to the boys or Elizabeth. That why he made a call to Francis, and the man was more than happy to return to Port Charles to rile up Sonny, and keep Elizabeth and the boys safe.

Elizabeth hadn't liked it, but she hadn't protested. She understood why he felt the need to put guards on them. Jason was thankful that she didn't fight him on this, because knowing that his family was safe gave him a peace of mind that he sorely needed. He just wished he knew what to do about Danny. There was little doubt the boy was his flesh and blood. He could feel that fatherly bond with the young three year old, but he hadn't gotten to see him since the fall out with Sam. He didn't want Danny to suffer because of his choices, and had Diane working quietly on custody papers. (Diane had been positively thrilled when she heard he was with Elizabeth, and had stated that she always thought he had be utterly stupid to walk away from the nurse for Sam.)

He made his way into the Quartermaine mansion. He talked to Alice for a few moments about how things were going before he stepped into the living room where Tracy and Monica were bickering with each other as always.

"Jason," Monica said, elated. "I wasn't expecting you. Is everything alright? Is Danny fine?"

"He was last time I checked," Jason said, with a strained smile. "And everything is fine. I just…I just made some hard decisions in these last few days, and I think you need to be made aware of them."

"Oh?" Monica's smile fell. "What do you mean hard decisions?"

"Ever since I woke up, I have been struggling to find my past. When I was given it thanks for Elizabeth, I have struggling to come to grips with it and the man I used to be. I finally have a clear idea of who I am, and the life that I want to led here on out," Jason told her, his voice self-assured. He was determined, and nothing could sway him now. He had spent too much time wasting time on the wrong people, and it was time he started spending it on the right ones.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Monica said, with an even tone of voice. "As I am sure Sam is, too."

"Yeah, not exactly," Jason said.

Monica's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I am divorcing Sam," Jason told Monica, knowing she needed to hear it from him.

"And why is that?" Monica said, tersely. She no longer looked welcoming with a disappointed scowl fixated on her face, and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Because I should have never married her in the first place," Jason said, seriously.

"Here, here," Tracy said, raising her glass in a mocking toast. When Tracy saw Monica's glare, the woman scoffed lightly. "You may be willing to sacrifice your integrity and morals to bend over to kiss that little interloper's ass in order to wheedle your way back into Jason's life, but not all of us are willing to sink that low, Monica."

"There is nothing wrong with Sam, Tracy," Monica snapped.

"That's because you haven't seen her rap sheet," Tracy countered, with a hard smirk.

"Oh? Since when is being a criminal an automatic black mark for this family?" Monica said, crossing her arms over her chest. "In case you have forgotten, you have even married and dated a few yourself."

"As painful and regrettable as my romance history is, I fail to see the relevance here, Monica," Tracy said, without batting an eye at the insult tossed her way. "At least, the lovers in my past had authentic redeeming qualities that made up for their less than savory attributes. Sam McCall play acts at being a martyr when all she is nothing more than a conniving snake that sank her teeth into a meal that has lasted her decade. She realized now that meal ticket is up, and I for one will be happy to see the woman's expression when she is tossed out on the curb. It will be amusing, and I won't have to pretend to like her anymore."

Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Monica, I know that you have heard a version of truth from Sam, but it isn't the actual truth," he told her, evenly. "Sam has made herself to be some victim in a the grand scheme of things, and Elizabeth some heartless monster."

"She is heartless! She kept Jake from you! She kept him from me!" Monica nearly shouted.

"Elizabeth did nothing. We made that decision to protect Jake. It may not have been the right one, but I hold responsibility for that, too," Jason commented, with a sharp look. "I am your son, Monica. If anyone was obligated to tell you out Jake, it was me. Not Elizabeth. You need to let go of this misguided anger you feel towards Elizabeth because she is a part of my life, and I am not going to have her attacked at every turn by you."

"Jason, you can't see how she is playing you," Monica said, fiercely. "Sam has told me everything about what happened all those years ago, and I know—"

"Sam told you everything? So she told you how she watched Jake get kidnapped? Or how about the men she hired to point guns at Elizabeth and her boys to scare her away from me?" Jason stated, darkly.

Monica's rant faltered, and her eyes went wide.

"What?" Tracy looked stunned, and angered. She hadn't been in Elizabeth Webber's orbit, but even she remembered how distraught the mother of two had been when her baby had gone missing. "What do you mean Sam watched Jake get kidnapped and hired gunmen? And why the hell did you let her get away with it?"

"Sam was in the park that day Jake went missing. She saw Maureen Harper take Jake, and never said anything. I found out from Maureen what Sam did, and I confronted Sam. Sam said she had a moment of weakness," Jason stated, his eyes locked onto Monica's pale face. He knew that it was a tremendous shock, but he had to destroy this made up image of Sam in Monica's mind. He had to get her to see the truth because if she didn't then he wasn't going to have anything to do with her. And that would kill him because he remembered his life as Jason Quartermaine and while she wasn't blood, she was still his mother. "She hired the gunmen after Elizabeth and I started to get closer because while Sam wasn't with me, she didn't want me to be happy with someone else."

"That answers one questions, but not the most important one," Tracy snapped. "Why the hell did you let her get away with that?"

"Because I was stupid, is that what you want to hear?" Jason tossed his aunt a glare. "I felt responsible for Sam's injury, and her pain, and her anger. I let myself take the blame when it wasn't mine to bear, and Sam used it against me. I threatened her that if she ever did something like that again I would…" He trailed off, and his shoulders rose with a great breath.

"That's bullshit," Tracy said, harshly. "A moment of weakness is crawling into bed with wrong person, or getting drunk until you fall over in an alleyway. It isn't tormenting another person just because your feelings are hurt. And you are right, you are completely stupid."

"Tracy!" Monica turned to her sister-in-law. The chief of staff didn't know what to think about this revelation. She had known Sam had come from a rough past, but she couldn't believe the other woman would do something like that. She had always believed that Sam had become a better person because of Jason, and had bought into the true love fairytale that Sam had fed her. She even believed the stuff Sam told her about Elizabeth, but was now questioning everything that Sam ever said.

Tracy just looked at her, unrepentant.

"No," Jason said, sadly. "She's right. I was a fool. I should have done something about Sam all those years ago, but I didn't. I am paying for that now."

Monica took in a deep rattled breath, and ran her hands down her face. "Is there…is there anything else life altering and mind shattering that I need to know?" She demanded, her voice faint as she slumped into the couch. She gave Tracy a grateful look when her sister-in-law placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, there is," Jason stated. He sat down and explained carefully about the brain injury. He told them all that happened, and why it had happened, and how he was working on getting back to being healthy again. "That's why I can't be with Sam. I wasn't in love with her, and this whole marriage was based on a lie. I can't go back to that."

"I…I understand," Monica nodded, shakily. "It will take some time to process it. I have…I have allowed myself to get close to Sam, and I believed her, and I cared for her. It is hard to let all that go, but I know that you wouldn't make up something like this."

Jason let out a small sigh of relief, and then raked his hand through his hair. "There is more."

"How much more?" Tracy asked, archly.

Monica shot Tracy a quelling look, but turned back to Jason. "What is it?"

"I…I know you are already upset, but I can't leave without telling you this. You out of everyone deserves to know this," Jason's throat bobbed, a feeling of uncertainty swirled in his gut. "I regained my memories of everything."

"I know," Monica frowned, bemused. "You told us."

"No, you don't understand," Jason sighed. "I regained all of my memoires. Not of Jason Morgan, but also of Jason Quartermaine."

The entire room went silent. Tracy stared at him, mouth agape like he had just confirmed the sky was green and the sea was red. Monica didn't have a reaction right away, but slowly the dawning comprehension fell upon her face. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes, and she placed a hand to her mouth as a sob pulled out of the depths of her soul. "Oh, my…" Monica faltered, and Jason handed her a tissue out of the box on the table.

Monica took it grateful with a shaking hand. "Oh, I wish Alan was here," Monica said, her voice laced with pain and happiness. "He was proud, you know. Of the man that you were, but he always held out hope that you would regain your memories. That in some small way you'd return to us, and oh, Emily would have..." Her voice broke, and a sob worked through her as Jason pulled her into a tight hug.

There was a long heartbreaking moments where they both shed tears. Even Tracy wiped away a few off her face, though she'd deny it later if anyone dared to say anything. Finally, Monica managed to compose herself. "What are you going to do about Sam?" Monica asked, tearfully.

"I am going to divorce her, and fight for custody of Danny," Jason told them, quietly.

"Don't file for divorce," Tracy said, suddenly.

"What?" Monica blanched.

Jason gave her a scrutinizing look.

"If you married that witch when you were not in the right mind frame that is grounds for annulment, and that is what you need to file for," Tracy told him, earnestly. "If you file for divorce, you give Sam grounds to believe that she meant something to you. You give her grounds to believe she can fight for you. If you file for annulment, then you show her that you want to erase that part of your life. You show her that it was a mistake, and that is a wake-up call that the likes of her sorely needs."

Jason felt like that would be dropping a lit match into a vat of gasoline, given how volatile Sam could be. On the other hand, it would be easier than fighting a long and lengthy divorce that would likely do more pain than in the long run. "I'll consider it," was all he said in reply. He stayed for a few more moments, and talked about setting up times for Monica to visit the boys. She wanted to invite Cameron to, as a olive branch to Elizabeth, and Jason told her he would let her know.

After he left, Monica sank against the couch feeling as if she had aged ten years over the course of the conversation. She couldn't believe she had believed Sam, and how she acted towards Elizabeth. She had been such a fool, and she only hoped it wasn't too late to seek for forgiveness.

"You owe Elizabeth Webber a big apology," Tracy pointed out.

"I know," Monica said, weakly. "I know."

"And you better pay Sam back in kind."

"Oh, I intend to."

* * *

Elizabeth had just returned from the gallery. Her and Ava discussed her job placement, and what her responsibilities would be at the gallery. She could honestly say that she was excited about the job, and couldn't wait to start it. She got out of her car, and then stopped abruptly when she saw Sonny on her porch. "Sonny? What are you doing here?" She called out as she approached him, with confusion written plainly upon her face.

Sonny gave her a smile. "I was just about to leave until I saw you pulling in," he told her, and avoided the question. "I was hoping that I would catch you, but uh, wasn't sure what time you'd be home."

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, but walked up the porch steps. She unlocked the door, and bid him to enter her home. Shutting the door behind them, she turned to look at the mob boss curiously. "How are you doing? I know that you and Carly have been going through a hard time ever since Morgan was put into a coma by the explosion," Elizabeth said, softly. While she wasn't close with the Corinthos family at all, she knew the devastation of having a child hurt. It had been a senseless act of violence done against the LGBT community where a group of people had started joining meetings about how to embrace their sexuality and come out of the closet.

Apparently, Morgan had realized that he was attracted to men, but had been afraid to come out of the closet. He was caught in the horrible crossfire of irrational hatred, and it was through his boyfriend, Fred, that his family found out the truth. It was heartbreaking to see Carly and Sonny have to go through this again, except instead of Michael, it was Morgan. She had got up close view of it as she had been Morgan's nurse until he had been shipped off to an in-care facility that specialized in comatose patients. Sonny had paid for the rebuild of the building, and for better security while also he accepted Fred into the family after his story checked out.

"It's been rough, I won't lie," Sonny said, a deep sadness twisted on his features. He looked like all the years of strife and loss had caught up to him in this moment. "But from the doctors have said, his prognosis is improving. So we are hopeful."

Elizabeth nodded, lightly. "If you ever need to talk, I would be willing to listen," she offered, with a small smile. "I know that I got Jake back, but the pain and grief that I felt when he was gone…that still haunts me, so I know probably more than most what you are going through."

"Thank you. I appreciate that," Sonny inclined his head lightly. "I may take you up on it one day, but um, I actually have something else to discuss with you, if you don't mind."

Elizabeth was wary, but nodded. "Sure. Take a seat."

Sonny sat down at the dining room table, and eyed the brownies on the plate in the center of it. They smelled heavenly, and he remembered a time that Elizabeth came to visit him with brownies before to check in after Jason. She always did small things like that to show she cared, and more often than not, it went over the heads of people who were too selfish or involved in themselves. Sonny's stomach twisted into an unpleasant knot because he knew he had been one of those people.

"You can have some, you know?" Elizabeth said, with a flicker of amusement. She sat a cup of straight black coffee in front of him. It was the only kind Sonny ever liked. "I promise I left the arsenic out of the recipe."

Sonny flashed her a dimpled smile. "Thanks."

Elizabeth settled into a chair as Sonny pilfered one of the brownies. She was curious as to why he was really here. The only thing they had in common was Jason, so she had little doubt that it had to do something with the former hitman. She just wondered in what capacity that Sonny was here as. The brother and truly friend to Jason? Or the man who used and held his leash? Sonny was a difficult man, with mood swings and it was hard to know which one she was going to get. "So can I assume that you're here to talk to me about Jason?" She asked, keeping her voice soft and even.

"I am," Sonny acknowledged, finishing off the brownie and chasing it down with the blissfully warm, bitter coffee. He set the cup down, and he looked down at the brown liquid for a long moment. "As you know, after finding out about his identity…Jason came back to work for the coffee business for a little time."

"He mentioned it," Elizabeth commented, with a small nod. The other day when they talked, Jason confided in her about how he had gone to do a small job for Sonny. He felt that he owed to the other man to at least try, but he told Elizabeth that he had been blunt and honest with Sonny that the life of violence was not for him.

"He was still good at it, but…it weighed on him. I could see it. The brutality of it wasn't something he could deal with like he used to, and that why I didn't complain when he chose to not return after that. I couldn't do that to him," Sonny sighed, heavily. "I couldn't repay all that he has done for me by forcing him into a life I know that would destroy him in the end."

Elizabeth barely concealed her surprise.

Sonny gave a small grin, despite the shame that appeared in his eyes. "Let's say that this last year has been a wakeup call for me. One I should have heeded a long time ago, but I…" He shook his head, side to side. "I should have seen it when Michael was shot, but I was stubborn. I let my pride take precedence over everything else. This last year watching Morgan deal with his issues made me take a hard look at myself, and I…I know that I haven't been a good man. Especially when it came to my family and friends. How can I sit here and be selfish asking Jason to come back when I've seen the damage that the violence my lifestyle has brought to my own family?"

"The bombing wasn't your fault, Sonny," Elizabeth told him, kindly.

"This one wasn't, but how many others were?" Sonny countered, with a shrug of his shoulder. "Jason has a chance. He has a new lease on life. The other families are willing to let past differences go over him because even they appreciate what a rare second chance this is for him. I'm not going to say that there won't be danger still, but it won't be like it was."

Elizabeth tapped her fingers lightly over the table top, and chewing on the inside of her cheek before she raised her gaze to meet Sonny's. "Why are you talking to me about this?" She asked, with a deep set frown on her face. "Why not Sam?"

"Because the second that Jake Doe woke up, all he has seen is you. He had no reservations, no obligations holding him back, and part of me always knew if Jason could ever see past those then he would have been with you in a heartbeat," Sonny told her, frankly. "He loves you, Elizabeth. He always has, even if he has denied it. Do you love him?"

At first, Elizabeth was going to tell him that it was none of his business, but the genuine tone behind his words made her defense falter. Instead, her expression fell and she knew she couldn't lie. "So much that it hurts," she admitted, in a small voice.

"Let it hurt, it's going to no matter how this plays out, but I want you to know that you and Jason have my full support," Sonny told her, and then chuckled at the astonished look on her face. "I know that I haven't been a good friend to you. I haven't really been a friend at all. You were there for me on one of the hardest moments of my life, and even though you owed me nothing, you held me through it."

"And I used that moment as leverage to make you not go after Ric," Elizabeth pointed out, remembering how she begged Sonny to not hurt Ric. How she told him that he owed her for that, and it made her stomach turn. She had been so desperate to believe in Ric that she couldn't have him proven the villain that he actually was.

"You weren't though. That might have been the words you used, but it wasn't what you were really trying to say. You were trying to get me to be there for as a friend, to show some value for your friendship, and listen," Sonny sighed, his smile dropped into a serious and somber frown. His dark eyes were distant as he thought about the past, and his shoulders slumped slightly. "I didn't appreciate that then, but I appreciate it now. You're a good person, Elizabeth, and I have done you a great disservice by not seeing the value you brought not only into my life, but into Jason's. He was devastated after you left the penthouse, and he tried to hide it. It was half the reason I didn't want him with Courtney because I knew that he was on the rebound."

"I…I don't know what you want me to say, Sonny," Elizabeth frowned at him.

"Nothing. Just listen. I should have stepped up and let you know about my death being faked. I was so self-involved that I never really anticipated how it would affect your relationship with Jason. I am sorry for that," Sonny apologized, his voice sincere. He truly meant every word that he said.

"That wasn't entirely your fault, Sonny. Jason and I didn't handle that situation well, too. It was a combination of things that extended far beyond your death being faked," Elizabeth told him.

"But that was the catalyst. My decision is what drove the wedge there between you, and cost you all time," Sonny retorted, not allowing the blame that was his to be dismissed so easily. "And the whole mess with Ric and Courtney…I was selfish then, too. Carly and I had Jason in our lives how we thought we needed him to be that we didn't consider what he was losing by not having you in his life. As for when you first found out you were pregnant with Jake, I told you that Jason loved Sam."

"You did," Elizabeth acknowledged.

"I didn't say it to hurt you, or to throw Sam in your face. I needed to see your reaction, and I could already tell you were half-way in love with Jason then," Sonny explained, lightly. "If I have been a better friend, I would have pushed you two together, but I had thought…I thought that you two would have found your way. But you couldn't. Not with so much set against you, including myself. I'm sorry."

"Sonny, you don't have to apologize. You may have not done the best by our friendship, but neither did I. I swore that I understood you and Jason's lifestyle, then when I was with Ric I acted horribly to you. I accused you all of being heartless killers even when I knew that wasn't the fact," Elizabeth told him, patting his hand gently. She held no anger towards Sonny, to be perfectly honest. Out of everyone, he had been the least judgmental towards her relationship with Jason. When he assumed Jake was Lucky's, that was the most he ever said about her connection to Jason. At least, to her that was. "I made Jason think that the danger was too much, and put that seed of doubt in his mind. I will never forgive myself for how much that's cost me. And I am glad for your support if I decide to be with Jason. It would be nice to have some that has my back besides Patrick and Epiphany, even if Epiphany is a force to be reckoned with."

"That she is," Sonny grinned, his dimples showing. "I have never met anyone more intimidating than Nurse Epiphany. Feel to tell her I said that, too."

"I will," Elizabeth chuckled, lightly.

The front door opened, and Jason walked in, only to stop short at the sight of Sonny sitting there. The smile on his face dropped, and his expression went blank as his blue eyes stared at Sonny warily. "Sonny," he said, tonelessly.

Sonny winced slightly at the tone. "Jason," he nodded his head, and then turned back towards Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, thanks for the coffee and brownies."

"It was no problem," Elizabeth said, with a smile. "And my offer is still there if you ever need to talk."

"Thanks," Sonny gave her a big dimpled smile. He rose out of his chair, and walked towards the door. "I'll see you around, Jason."

"Yeah. You, too," Jason said, faintly. He was still trying to size up the situation he walked into.

"Bye, Elizabeth."

"Bye, Sonny."

As soon as the door closed behind Sonny, Jason was at Elizabeth side and looked down at her with concern. "Why was Sonny here?" Jason asked, suspiciously. He didn't exactly trust Sonny when it came to Elizabeth. They had butted heads before where the nurse was concerned, and if Sonny was trying to scare Elizabeth off then he had another thing coming.

"He was here to talk," Elizabeth replied, lightly.

"Did he threat you?" Jason searched her face.

"No. No, he just…just came to apologize," she answered, with a sad little smile.

"Apologize?" Jason frowned.

"For all the time he cost us," Elizabeth said, lightly. "He apologized for not letting me in on his fake death, and he apologized for the fallout of that. I assured him that it wasn't his entire fault, but he insisted that it was because of that choice he made that led for the misunderstanding to start between us."

"He's not wrong," Jason admitted, his shoulder relaxing. He was glad that Sonny wasn't another obstacle against them. "I…I should have said something to Sonny about letting you know, but I had hoped that he would have come to the realization that you were important to me and that you needed to know on his own. But he didn't, and I didn't push. I am sorry for that."

"And I'm sorry for walking away," Elizabeth whispered back. "I should have stayed to listen to what you had to say, but I allowed my hurt to carry me out the door before you got a word in edge wise. And I'm sorry for the hateful way I was to you after that. The things I said when you were with Courtney and I was with Ric…"

"It's water under the bridge, Elizabeth," Jason promised, taking her hands in his. "We both made mistakes. We both let out hurt push us into relationship we weren't ready for, or wanted. We let it make us both say things were regret, but we know better now. Don't we?"

Elizabeth stared up at him with soulful eyes, and nodded. "We do," she said, running her thumbs against the back of his knuckles. "And I have an answer for you finally."

Jason's breathe stuttered. "You do?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth said, a sheen of tears in her eyes. "I am willing to do this if you are."

A smile split across Jason's face, chasing the shadows away. "You mean it?"

"Yes. If you can find in your heart to risk it again on me, even after all I've put you through, how can I now give you the same chance?" Elizabeth looked up at him, with a bright and happy smile. "You are willing to face the people who were your friends, and fight for us then I can't do anything less. I want to be with you. I always have, but I told myself that the timing was never right. I know now that if I want the timing to be right, then I have to make that time. I want that time to be now."

"I do, too," Jason said, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. "I have…never felt anything like this. Not for anyone else. You are my soul, Elizabeth, and every time that I am away from you I become lost. I become a man who isn't worthy of anything, but with you…I feel like I can be the better man."

"You always were the better man, Jason," Elizabeth said, reaching up cup the side of his face. "You just never realized it, and I wish I shown you before how much you meant to me. You were always my heart, Jason. No matter who I was with that never changed. I fooled myself into believing that I was alright without, but I know that isn't true. I just wish I had realized it so much sooner than now."

"Me, too," Jason nodded, running his hands up her arms and pulled her close. "I know that there is still so much to be worked out, but I'm glad that you are going to be by my side through it all."

Elizabeth nodded. "It's going to be hard. When everyone finds out about out decision…"

"I know," Jason sighed, slightly. He inhaled her scent. The sweet vanilla lotion she used, and he always knew when she was walking into the room. "I've talked to Monica, and had a talk with her. She now knows the truth, and I know she will want to try to mend things with you."

"I can't say that I'll forgive her. She tried to have Cameron taken away from me when he got sick around the time I was in the hospital after being thrown over the boat," Elizabeth sighed, heavily. "But I can try to be civil to her for Jake's sake at the very least, but if she starts something I will finish it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Jason smiled.

"What about Carly? You told me what happened on the docks, and Sonny didn't really mention her. But I don't think Carly is the type to give up that easily," Elizabeth commented, gnawing on her lower lip. "Especially when it comes to you."

"Carly is quiet right now, but you are right. She'll start something, but in the grand scheme of things…I'm more concerned about Sam," Jason said, his voice severe. He worried that when he filed for divorce or annulment that it would the final push that would send Sam over the edge.

Elizabeth felt a shudder rush down her spine. "I agree that Sam is going to be the biggest problem. Ever since that night you came over, and the confrontation with Sam…I have had nightmares about the boys. About not being able to find them, and Sam gloating that they were gone for good," she murmured, burying her face into his neck.

"Hey, that's not going to happen. Even if Sam tries something, I'm not going to let her hurt you. I made the mistake of letting her get away with hurting you before. I won't let that happen again," Jason told her, holding her tight. He would die before he let anyone or anything hurt his family again. He made the mistake of letting them go once, but never again.

"But you do realize that Sam could be more dangerous now than back then, right? I mean, you're not just a con to Sam," Elizabeth pointed out, with a deep, thoughtful frown. Her heart churned inside of her chest. "Her cons, Sam could easily walk away from them because she wasn't invested beyond getting monetary gain from them. I believe Sam truly cares about you, but there's an obsession there, too. Her obsession outweighs any real feelings she has for you, and that is what makes her so much more dangerous. She has invested more time, feelings, and built her entire life around you. If you truly leave here, she stands to lose in a big way. And when people like Sam get desperate, a lot of people get hurt in the warpath that follows."

"Whatever the fallout, we'll figure it out together."

* * *

Sam was getting antsy. It had been a month and half since Jason had that confrontation with her at Elizabeth's, and besides talking about Danny, the other man hadn't let her have any kind of foothold in his life. She could feel the desperation clawing at her insides, and she just wanted her life back to the way it was before Jason was shot on the pier and Helena took him away. Everything had been so wonderful then. He had finally learned he was Danny's father, and they were coming together as a family. How could he just write that off as a head injury and act like she didn't matter at all? Spinelli hadn't come up with anything by bugging the office that Jason had therapy session at, and the things recorded just made Sam's heart feel ill. He act like the head injury was true, and was so invested in this story that Elizabeth was forcing him to create that he sounded like he was even convincing himself it was real.

So far she couldn't figure out what the other brunette had over him, and if she couldn't do that then she needed to Elizabeth out of the way. She had lost too much time with Jason, and she wasn't about to let that bitch take anymore. When Ava called her, Sam felt a relief flood over her and quickly made her way down to the docks to meet her. Hopefully, everything was coming together and Elizabeth Webber would soon be a bad memory that they could write off.

"Ava," Sam said, wrapping her coat tightly around her. "Have you got a way to get rid of my little problem?"

Ava smiled, coldly. "Here."

Sam stared in confusion at the white envelope that Ava presented her with, but she took it after a long pause. "What is it?" The brunette asked, with a confused look. Perhaps it was information on what Elizabeth was holding over Jason's head.

"Just a little birthday present I'd thought that you'd enjoy," Ava said, with a saccharine smile. She wondered if Sam knew about the noose of lies around her throat was closing around her, and she gave light chuckle as Sam opened the envelope.

"It's a DNA test," Sam said, slowly.

"Wow. You are as smart as they say," Ava said, with a mocking tone. She grinned when Sam gave her a venomous look.

"Why are you giving me this?" Sam asked, trying to figure Ava out. Sadly, Ava was a better player upon the stage than Sam could ever hope to be.

"Because it's very important you see. The two people listed are actually monikers. Couldn't have anyone mess with the test," Ava told her, relishing this moment. "Selene is you, and Marcus is Julian. I'm sure you know how to read the numbers, but in case you need some help, according to this piece of paper there is no chance in hell that you are Julian's real daughter. And I willing to bet that also means you aren't even Alexis's."

A cold air whipped down the street, and Ava watched as the comprehension dawned on Sam's face. Watched the blood drain out and the brunette turn a sickly pale, and Ava looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"He would never believe you," Sam told her, her tone less confident than she hoped.

"Oh, you're right, he might not believe me. At first," Ava smirked, with a wicked look on her face. "But he'll be curious. Curious enough to have his own DNA test done, and discreetly enough that you're little Jackal pal won't be able to alter the results in your favor. What do you think Julian will do once he finds out that you conned him, Sam?"

The paper in Sam's hands, and she glared at Ava. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I don't like when my family is messed with," Ava told her, simply.

"Like you haven't messed with someone else's family," Sam sneered, defensively.

"True. I may be a bitch, a pariah, even a hypocrite at times, but that won't stop me from putting an end to your little charade," Ava stated, with a lick of shame in her tone or posture. "You should have cut your losses a long time ago long before you bounced out of Sonny's bed and into Jason's. A good con artist knows not to linger because long hauls get messy, especially when you have so much to lose."

Sam slapped Ava hard across the face.

Ava reached up, delicately touching her cheek and sniffed. "Woman's advice? I would start thinking about your life choices, Sammy," Ava told her, with an idle tone of voice as she carefully pulled on her gloves. Fixing her scarf around her neck, she flashed her pearly whites at the other woman. "And if you're smart…you'll pack your bags, and be out of Port Charles before dawn."

Sam gave one last glower at Ava before she fled the docks. She only had one other person that would have her back, and had the leverage to help her. That was Monica Quartermaine. She had tried to test the waters with Sonny, play on their history, but his temperament towards her had been lukewarm at best. She should have known he was Jason's man through and through, so all she had was the Quartermaine matriarch that hated Elizabeth, thanks for all the stories Sam had fed her over the years.

She raced to the Quartermaine mansion, and was in the living room before Alice could stop her. "Monica, I need your—" She stopped short, and felt like the world had given away underneath her. She stood there looking like a fish out of water as Monica turned to her with a cool look on her face, and a venomous glare that would have sent Sam a foot back if she hadn't been rooted to the spot. Standing between Monica and Tracy was Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and Special Agent Tony Dinozzo.

Feeling dread claw into her heart, she knew that this was not good. The last time she had seen them was right after Angela Monroe and before Sam McCall. When she was Angelique DeCroix who had married a very high paid naval officer before he 'mysteriously' died, and they had never found enough evidence to prove it was murder. She had started to charm Tony's own father, but was given a rather lethal threat from Gibbs that had sent her packing. It was only weeks after that she ended up in Port Charles. "W-what's going on here?" She asked, her voice shaken.

"Why don't you tell us, Angelique? Oh, it's Sam now, isn't it? My bad?" Tony DiNozzo smirked, but it didn't not reach his eyes in the slightest.

"We are here about the murder of your former husband, Naval Officer Lemont Beauregard," Gibbs stated, with an icy look in his eyes that made even Jason's stone cold glare seem tame in comparison.

"I told you all I could about that," Sam said, lightly. She had given Monica a vague gloss over of her own history, so the other woman knew she was a former con-artist. If she could keep the woman on her side, she was confident in her abilities to beat the NCIS agents once again. "I'm not what more information I could give you about something that happened fifteen years ago."

"You don't have to give us anything actually," Tony said, cheerfully. "New technology and advancements in DNA and such have let us go through many old cases, and pick up evidence that was missed the first time around. And you won't believe what we found."

Sam stared at him, a queasy feeling in her stomach. "Nothing," she lied. "Because there was nothing to find."

"Aw, look at that, boss," Tony shrugged. "She thinks we are bluffing."

Gibbs didn't smile. "Sam McCall, you are under arrest for the murder of—"

Pure panic burned through her veins. "Monica, you can't believe this. I didn't kill him. You know what kind of person I am," Sam told her, looking towards the matriarch for help. She couldn't go to jail. The second she was processed any warrants that Spinelli hadn't got rid of would spring up in the system, and she knew that there would be other places vying to prosecute her.

"I know exactly what kind of person that you are Sam," Monica stated, frostily. "Jason told me everything you put Elizabeth and her boys through, and frankly I am disgusted. I'm disgusted at you, and the fact that I ever believed you were worthy of being a part of my family."

Sam's eyes bulged out of her skull, and she barely heard Gibbs finish the Miranda Rights because her heart thumped painfully loud against her eardrum. She stood there, making a shocked choking noise that had Tracy bent over laughing. Finally, Sam shook her head and gathered herself. "I want my lawyer!" She declared, harshly. "And Jason will make you sorry for this Monica. He still loves me, and when he finds out what you've done by letting these NCIS agents arrest me then he'll never step foot in this mansion again! Do you hear me? You'll regret this!" Sam hollered as she was handcuffed, and escorted out of the mansion. She struggled and fought all the way to the car, but it was futile. She knew that as soon as she got her first phone call it would be to Spinelli. The hacker would help make this all go away, and then she would make Monica pay for this betrayal.

Instead, Monica stared sadly at the doors. She had called in a few favors to root around Sam's past so when the NCIS agents stated they were interested in Sam because they had proof that she murdered a past husband of hers in cold blood, Monica told them everything she knew. She knew that it was unlikely that Sam would get prosecuted for what she did to Jake when he was a baby, and the gunmen, but Monica felt a sense of satisfaction well up inside of her as Sam was hauled off. It was quickly replaced by a sorrowful feeling, but not for Sam. "The first thing she thought about was herself. The second thing was Jason," Monica commented, a slightly hollow tone in her voice. "And I'm not even sure Danny would have ranked as the third thing that Sam was concerned about. How can a woman who claims to have wanted a child so desperately and so dearly not even give him a thought as she arrested and is going to jail? I can't believe I didn't see how selfish she was."

"How can she be anything else? She built her life around one person. When you do that, nothing else matters and even if a person wasn't in the beginning, they would eventually become selfish and resentful. And she never appreciated the gift that Danny was. Not really," Tracy commented, toying with her necklace. She gave Monica a sympathetic glance, and grasped the other woman's hand. "At that time, Jake was gone and I think that Sam felt that if she gave Jason a child, part of her could erase Jake from history."

"And instead of comforting Elizabeth and make sure she was alright…I instead let a snake into our lives," Monica said, heavily.

"Hmm," Tracy made a little noise in the back of her throat. Her expression turned solemn, and she asked, lightly, "Are you sure that Sam didn't help Helena take Jake away?"

"Honestly, yes," Monica admitted. "Sam may be guilty of a lot of things, but I do believe she is innocent of that. When Jake returned, she pressured Elizabeth constantly to let her see Jake. If she was part of Helena's scheme, she would have kept him far away from her out of fear of him recognizing her face, or her name at the very least."

"Maybe Sam was a silent partner," Tracy suggested.

"Tracy, you and I both know that Helena would not filter around Jake. She probably would have gotten sick glee out of telling him that his father was married to someone who helped take him away from his home," Monica said, tiredly. She wiped her hands down her face, and gave a sad shake of her head. "I am going to go call Jason, and let him know what has happened. After that…I'm going to go hold Danny and remind him that there are people that love him unconditionally."

*LINE HERE*

It had been two weeks since Sam had been arrested, and she hadn't been shipped off to D.C. just yet. Sam mistakenly believed that this meant that someone was keeping her from being shipped off, and when Jason stepped into the interrogation room, a smile blossomed over her face. "Jason, you came for me," she chirped, perking up in her seat.

Jason let out a mute sigh.

Agent Gibbs a loud snort before he drew the door shut, letting the two have privacy.

"I knew you would! I knew you couldn't truly abandon me even with Elizabeth twisting your hand behind your back," Sam charged into her speech, feeling elated at seeing Jason. "Oh, Jason, it's been terrible. I can't believe Monica would do something like this! I thought that we were so close."

Jason frowned, deeply. "She thought so, too. When you trick a Quartermaine, they get even Sam. You shouldn't have manipulated Monica like you did, and used her as a weapon against Elizabeth to satisfy your petty vendetta against her. You are no saint Sam. You weren't all those years ago, and you aren't now," he said, his voice brittle and cold. His eyes held no warmth as he regarded her, and he didn't feel an ounce of sympathy when he watched the smile fall off of her face. "Ava Jerome gave me all the information. About you not being Alexis and Julian's daughter. About what you wanted her to do to Elizabeth."

"And you believe Ava Jerome's credibility over mine?" Sam nearly shouted.

"No," Jason said.

Sam relaxed, bemused.

"So I had it looked into. Spinelli isn't the only hacker out there. Imagine my surprise when the person I hired managed to dig up texts between you and Ava. I can only imagine the little problem you wanted gone was Elizabeth," Jason said, with a hardened smile. "I warned you, Sam. I told you once what would happen if you messed with Elizabeth, and you didn't listen. The only reason I let you walk out of Elizabeth's when you tried to blackmail her was for Danny's sake, but now…now you've gone too far."

"You've said all this before Jason," Sam snorted, arms folded over her chest. "And you forgave me."

"No, Sam. A man who couldn't feel and couldn't remember stupidly forgave you," Jason said, harshly. "I tracked down Maureen, and Amelia. They are both more than happy to testify against you for the kidnapping. That on top of all the charges you are facing, you aren't getting out for a very long time, Sam."

"Oh, please," Sam scoffed, trying to play tough. She hated that Elizabeth had somehow conned him into saying these hurtful things to her, and she would make the bitch pay tenfold. "If I was in real trouble I would have been shipped off already."

"They can't decide where you deserve to go face trial. Florida, Washington D.C, Texas, and many more are all trying to get you extradited," Jason countered, with a hint of smirk on his lips. "You shouldn't have come after Elizabeth, Sam. If you had just accepted that I wasn't the man who loved you, and took the chance with Patrick—"

"How could when I loved you, Jason?" Sam snapped. "Everything I have ever done has been to be the perfect woman for you. I am the one who can't your life where Princess Perfect can't even handle a gun—"

"I recall Elizabeth shooting a Russian to save your life," Jason said, pointing out the fault with her argument.

"A lucky shot," Sam snarled.

"You have to devalue her in everything, don't you?" He shook his head. "It's over, Sam."

"It's not over, Jason. It's never over between us. We always find a way back together. Once these charges are dismissed, and I find out what Elizabeth is using to manipulate you, we'll be back better than ever," Sam declared, the chains rattling violently as her body vibrated with rage. She tried to believe what she was saying, but she felt a cold sense of doom that rushed over her. "I won't let Elizabeth steal you from me again."

"No, Elizabeth stole nothing. I've always been hers," was Jason's parting shot before he pulled the door closed behind him.

* * *

In the end, Sam was shipped off to Texas to face trial and the death penalty. Spinelli couldn't help her out because he was under close watch from the FBI, and under investigation himself. Carly had tried to get Jason to see her point of view, but he stood firm in his decision, crushing Carly in the process. Sonny took Carly on a vacation, and away from the drama hoping by the time they returned that Carly would be able to look at things with clearer eyes. Monica and Elizabeth had started a tentative truce, but it would take years before the damage done to their relationship to be repaired. Jake was doing much better now that he was seeing a good therapist, and Nicolas had given the information he discovered about Jake's time on the island. It was an attempt to right a wrong, but Nicolas said he would not stay in Port Charles. Custody of Danny was split between Jason and Monica. Danny didn't have a hard time adjusting because he was mostly in Monica's care anyways with how much Sam ran around after Jason.

Jason stepped into the Jerome Gallery with a stern expression on his face. He may have his reservations about Elizabeth working here, but she was happy than she had been at the hospital with the toxic atmosphere that resided there. If only for that, Jason was going to give Ava the benefit of the doubt, but there was something nagging at him that he needed to clear up. When he saw no sign of Elizabeth, he approached the blond who was snapping photos of the pictures and uploading them to the computer. He saw the flash of surprise and suspicious cross through her eyes when she saw him standing there, and it almost made him smirk.

"Well, well, Mr. Morgan, now this is surprise," Ava greeted him, setting the camera down lightly on the table. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need to know why you helped stop, Sam," Jason told her, bluntly.

"Straight to the point, aren't you?" Ava smirked, slightly.

"Answer the question," Jason folded his arms over chest.

Ava chuckled. "But you didn't ask one."

Jason heaved a deep sigh. "Why did you help protect, Elizabeth?"

"Why not?" Ava said, with a light shrug. "Elizabeth is a good person. She genuinely likes art, and likes me, and Sam was trying to con my brother. Are those reasons sufficient enough to satisfy your curiosity?"

"You could have easily told me about Sam's plan," Jason pointed out, with a frown. "Why go through all that effort yourself?" He was not letting this go, and he was more stubborn than Ava could be evasive.

Ava let out a dramatic sigh, and ran her fingers through her blond hair. "Look, people like me don't get second chances. They are hard to come by and when you've done as many things as I have those sort of miracles just don't happen," Ava told him, with a flat look. "Julian has one with Alexis, and if I had denied Sam then she would have went to him. She would have drug him straight back into the ugly seedy world that he had escaped, and I couldn't let that happen. Surely you can understand how precious those second chances are, seeing as how you now have one to?"

Jason felt surprise rush through him, but staring at her through narrowed eyes, he felt no deceit from her. The knot of suspicion loosen in his skull, and he nodded slightly. "I suppose that I do."

"Ava, we have got—" Elizabeth walked in, dressed in a flowery dress that swayed with her every movement she made and looked as graceful as she was. Her blue eyes widened at the pair of them, and a knot of concern appeared on her brow. "What's going on?" Elizabeth asked, warily.

"Nothing," Ava smiled. "Just having a conversation with your beau. He's not the talkative type, is he?" The blond teased, ignoring the scowl that was sent her way. "Well, I better get out of the way before tall, blond and broody makes me sleep with fishes for interrupting his time with you."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip watching Ava make a quick exit towards the offices while Jason stood there with a pinched expression on his face. After the doors closed, Elizabeth looked up at Jason through her lashes. "Do I want to know what that was about?" She asked, taking a step towards him.

"Just asking Ava about a few things," Jason told her.

"About the incident with Sam?" She asked, with an eyebrow raised upward.

"Possibly," Jason said, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her towards him, and the feeling of her being in his arms was just right in every possible way. He rested his chin on her head, and felt her hands up on his shoulder blades.

"What do I have do to get a straight answer out of you?" Elizabeth chuckled.

"I have a few ideas," Jason smirked.

Elizabeth gave a loud laugh, and pulled back from him. Her hands sliding down his arms until their fingers entwined, and she stared up at him with a big beautiful smile. "I have never been more happier than I am now," she told him, breathlessly. "I know that there has been a lot of stress because of Sam and Carly and others, but I can't regret taking a chance on you."

"I'm glad that you decided I was worth taking the risk for," Jason said, with a big smile. His hands cupped her face, and kissed her passionately. As much time had been stolen from him, he was glad that the world have led him back to where he belonged and while there were still uncertainties they would face, there was no place he'd rather be.

* * *

END OF STORY!

Next Story: Loki

Author's Note: It'll be two weeks until I start posting Loki's story, so please be patient. :D And why did I add Gibbs and DiNozzo from NCIS? Because I just could that's why, lol.

RRs are appreciated.


	4. Loki - Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS. This is for amusement purposes only.

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Liz/Loki Thor/Jane Darcy/Patrick mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy, but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala, maddiemom, aphass, bjq for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo, bookfreak25, maddiemom for the favs!

I want to thank the reviews, guest 1, arcoiris0502, abstractartist, trini12180, kcke2pen, notenoughlove, kikimoo, Pamela, twin69, Liasonfan75, ilovedana53, Vonnicus, maryrose59, bjq, leasmom, Mona, ejliason, chicki'62,

Guest reviews:

Guest 1: Thanks. I know! I wish they would write the mobster with the heart of gold that made Sonny such a unique character instead of this sad man that we see now on our screens.

Pamela: Thanks! I know, but I feel that killing Sam off is too easy. The vindictive Sam I wrote in this fic needed to live, because in my opinion death was a way out. She doesn't deserve that.

Vonnicus: First of all, I love the penname. Secondly, I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I, too, always want Liason to get their happy ending no matter how much the writers destroy their history on the show, a part of me will always want Liason. Yes, an honest conversation has always been needed between them, and if done right I think the show could eventually get them together. If only, they would stop writing for a select fanbase. I may not totally hate Sam, but I hate what she got away with. Rewatching the 2007 episodes reminded me how much I disliked her then, so it translated heavily into this story. I believe that Jason would never have gotten back together with Sam. Even Steve Burton said he wouldn't have, but the writer's had an agenda, and have made GH practically unwatchable. A Sonny/Elizabeth/Jason triangle sounds interesting. I might have to give it a go. :D

Leasmom: Thank you!

Mona: Thank you. I'm glad that you loved it. I agree, the character assassination of Elizabeth was horribly thoughout. They could have not had the lie happen, and played on the history or both Liason and Jasam, giving the actors so much more to work with and making a heartbreaking struggle. Instead, they used the lie to cope out of having to go in depth with these characters and their internalized struggles. I believe so, too. Rebecca Herbst is totally underestimated, and haters like to say she doesn't have anything outside of GH, forgetting that she has her own fashion line, a happy marriage and three kids. That takes a tough woman to juggle all that. You'll have to wait and read. :D

Ejliason: I am adding an Jason Epilogue, but haven't finished writing it yet. I'll post it up, and maneuver it so it before this chapter when I get it posted.

Chicki'62: Thank you. It's all good! Better late than never. :D

This story is inspired by the works of S. T. Bende and G. C. Crockel. They have amazing stories on Kindle that I recommend to anyone who loves a good romance and Norse mythology. And this is a vague disclaimer just in case. lol :D

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

" **Our Past Set Ablaze"**

It was so silent. It was the kind of silence that pressed in on a person, and suffocated them slowly with each passing breath. Thor had known such a silence sparingly in his life, but he had never hated it more now than ever because each second that passed seemed to break his heart. "Brother, I wish that you would speak to me," Thor stated, his eyes looking into the cell that housed Loki. The God of Mischief was slumped against the wall, his head bowed and lips unmoving. He had not even sent the God of Thunder a taunting smirk when he arrived, and stared sightless out at his cell. Thor had thought perhaps if the guards had left then perhaps Loki would behave more like himself, but instead Loki was further withdrawn from him than ever before. "Mother says that you are doing well. That the strings that Thanos had placed inside of your mind have fully be severed, and now that you can finally begin the process of healing."

There was no reply.

Thor swallowed thickly. "You may resent father and I, but the rage that fuels you was not your own. Your actions in New York cannot be held entirely against you, and I will get father to understand how Thanos exploited you," the God of Thunder promised. "You'll be out of this cell and—"

"And what? Thrown into another cage?" The gravelly reply nearly made Thor jump, and green eyes flickered towards him with a harsh look. "Just this time it will be a gilded cage; all aesthetically pleasing, but no less of a prison than this one."

"That will not be the way of it brother," Thor assured him, but even he has his doubts. He knew that Loki's anger and pain all stemmed from finding out about his heritage. A harmless prank it had been to interrupt his coronation, and even though no one saw it, Loki was trying to show that Thor with his wild temper had been unprepared for the throne. His brother's good intentions were turned into something darker when he realized he was a frost giant. It enhanced the pain of being an outsider in his home. It made the jealousy he felt being in Thor's shadow, and how Odin treated them differently validate a fear of never being wanted. Of never being loved. "While we do not condone your actions, we still care for you because you are our family. Father will see the way of it once his temper is assuaged."

"And then all will be well, will it?" Loki spat, angrily.

"Of course it will not be," Thor gave him a sadden glance. "But I faith that in time that we will help you find your way. You may not be my brother by blood, but you are my brother nonetheless. You can fight me. You can deny it. It will not change it."

Something unpleasant settled over Loki features as he barked out a harsh laugh. "You really don't know, do you?" Loki giggled, insanely for a long moment before he slumped back against his cell with a sigh. "Still Odin's mindless sheep, always flocking to him and never seeing beyond the borders of that he lets you."

Thor's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you intend do with your insults, brother? Drive me away?"

"Insults? No, that wasn't an insult. I mean, it obviously was, but it was more an observations of the facts," Loki commented, drumming his fingers along his tunic with an idleness that was a stark contrast to the tension that lined his body from head to toe. "It's just awfully amusing to know that you are still as blind as ever when it comes to father, and his 'greater good' nonsense."

"Protecting the peace of the realms is not nonsense," Thor told him, sharply.

"Odin is so concerned about the welfare of the Nine Realms, he cares nothing for the instruments that is used to maintain the peace of them. Whatever fatherly feelings he has for you will be always secondary to that," Loki told his brother, the bitter and anger shed for a resigned and hollow stare that looked past Thor as if not really seeing the God of Thunder, at all. "You say that you wished I had taken your hand when I fell from the bifrost as if that moment could have saved me from being a pawn in someone else's game. The truth is that if I hadn't fell then I would have continued to be a puppet to a man that took away the only that mattered to me because he feared that it would draw me from the path he had preordained for me. At least, with Thanos, I had a choice in how I was being used!"

"Did you really, brother?" Thor countered, with a learned patience. His blue eyes searched his brother's face, and he wondered what Odin took from Loki that put such blackness inside of him. He did not want to question his father, but how could he not when his cherished brother was left so broken? He looked completely shattered; no smarmy grin, or witty comeback. Just pain and agony blazing in the green fire of his gaze. "Or do you say such things in order to make walk away? To attempt to get me to leave you to rot because it's easier to cast yourself as a villain than own up to your crimes and face what you have become?"

"Do not try to romanticize my situation, Thor," Loki huffed, looking away from him. He blinked his glassy eyes, and steeled himself against the wounded expression on the other God's face. "I did what I did because I wanted Odin to hurt as badly as I did. His secret about my heritage turned all the good in my life—raised as his son and your brother—into something ugly, but even that pain pales in comparison what he stole."

"And what did he steal?" Thor asked, feeling a knot in his chest.

Loki sent him a long, measuring look. "Why don't you go ask the King of Asgard himself? See if he confesses to his sin as I have mine," he stated, bitterly. He rolled over onto his side, facing away from his brother and only when he heard Thor's footsteps lead away from his prison did he allow himself fall into despair.

* * *

 _ **Elizabeth Webber ran**_ _faster than she ever had in her entire life. Her bare feet slapped against the cold, frigid as the giant vicious wolf nipped at her heels, and as if that wasn't terrifying enough the snake so giant that it would put an anaconda to shame slithering around her feet certainly was. Her jaw was clenched, teeth gnashing together as she exerted ever last ounce of her strength to somehow keep ahead of monsters threating to tear her apart. She accidently stepped on the snake's body, and it hissed angrily driving a sharp noise of panic out of Elizabeth's lips._

 _She jolted forward, putting little space between her and her pursuers. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst right out of her chest, and her vision swayed ominously with black dots. She couldn't stop moving though, and couldn't look back. Hell, even if she tried she wasn't sure she could make out anything beyond the pitch black darkness that surrounded her._

" _What's this? A little mortal playing in my realm?" A deep female voice rang out through the darkness, and suddenly a giant fissure cracked open beneath Elizabeth's feet. She cried out as she fell downward, her fingers latching onto the soil to keep herself from falling into the artic abyss below. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she looked up to see a shadow fall over her, though she couldn't make out any of its features. "So tenacious. What a rare thing to find in a mortal though it will matter little. No one, no Mortal nor God, can escape the inevitable end."_

 _The soil she clung to seemingly evaporated from beneath her hands, and Elizabeth went falling down into the darkness. The chill seemed to freeze her blood in her veins, and she was dead before she hit the bottom._

Elizabeth drew in a ragged breath, as she shook uncontrollably on her bed. Her limbs were at stiff and awkward angles as if she were in the midst of a struggle, and it took several moments for her bedroom to come into plain view. Her pulse hammered in her throat, as tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes and finally her body slumped against the mattress, tired and exhausted. Her blue eyes flickered up towards the clock, and she almost groaned when she realized that it was an hour before she really had to get up. But she couldn't go back to sleep because it would only give her a headache. "God, what a strange fucking nightmare," she murmured to herself, dragging her hands down her face. She slipped out of the bed, and started to make her way to the bathroom when she stopped abruptly.

Her eyes stared, unblinkingly at the opened window.

She never opened her windows, especially not when it was becoming so cold outside. That was just a horrible way to up her heat bill, and Elizabeth walked cautiously over to the window. It was wide open, the curtains billowing in the chilled wind, and parting them, she felt a huge knot form in her throat. The screen window was still in place, but there rips and tears in it. Rips and tears that looked like claw marks and teeth marks.

Letting out a shaky breath, Elizabeth slammed the window shut and locked it with more force than necessary. She took a step back from the window, and wrapped her arms around herself staring at it with wide eyes. The chill in the room didn't dissipate, not even when the heater kicked on. Shaking her head, she marched into the bathroom without a second glance back and told herself to stop behind silly.

If she had just waited a moment longer then she would have seen the dark figure step out from behind the tree, haloed by the orange streetlight and then disappeared in the blink of an eye.

* * *

After seeing the boys onto the bus, Elizabeth made her way to Kelly's. She had quit General Hospital because she just couldn't deal with Monica, Obrecht and Hayden in the same vicinity as her. All of them were hypocrites of the highest order, and while Elizabeth was not saint, she rarely threw a person's past in their face without good reason. Instead, they acted like she was some kind of ant in their way and made excuses just to go out of their way to ruin her day. She shouldn't have to stay in such an environment and Patrick encouraged her wholeheartedly. The man had been in a tailspin after Sam had basically threw the engagement ring in his face, and was back to being obsessed with all things Jason. Emma had been hurt by Sam's dismissal, which only fueled Patrick's anger. This is why she was meeting him for breakfast because she knew he needed to get out of his own head, and away from the dark thoughts and drama that threatened to consume him.

She entered the small establishment, and walked towards the table that Patrick sat at. She dropped into the seat, gracelessly and slumped in it tiredly. There was already a cup of coffee waiting for her, and she gave Patrick a grateful smile.

"You look like hell," Patrick greeted her.

"Always the charmer, Patrick," Elizabeth said, with an eyebrow lifted.

Patrick grinned slightly before it fell into a serious expression. "More nightmares?" He asked, wryly.

"Not more. The same one," Elizabeth corrected, tearing open the pink sugar packet between her fingers. She poured it into the black coffee, followed by a couple of creamers before she ladled it with the straw.

"The weird one about the animals hunting you down and tearing you apart?" Patrick said, his nose wrinkled.

"Yep, that would be the one," Elizabeth said, with a tense smile. She lifted her coffee cup up to take a delicate sip, then frowned putting it back down. She reached for another sugar pack as she divulged, "But this time I wasn't eaten alive. Some mysterious female spoke, the ground cracked open, and I fell into an abyss promptly freezing to death."

Patrick opened his mouth, but the waitress walked over. It was Kiki Jerome, and she asked, "What can I get for you two today?" she asked, brightly. She seemed to be doing a lot better after Morgan's death, and being as far away from Carly as possible.

"I'll have over easy eggs with toast and bacon. Coffee as my drink," Patrick ordered, and then tossed Elizabeth a smile. "And I know that Elizabeth loves the strawberry and cream crepes when she comes here for breakfast."

"Ah, you do know me," Elizabeth said, with a smile.

Kiki chuckled at the two's interactions. They were two of her favorite customers because they didn't come here to start drama, and were genuinely pleasant. They also didn't bug her about Morgan, or try to make her feel responsible for his death. She wished she had realized that before she had driven Dillon away and straight into Lulu Spencer's arms. "Coming right up," she said, pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind.

As soon as Kiki was out of ear shot, Patrick shot Elizabeth a long look. "Your nightmares are creepy," he told her, pointedly. "You haven't been reading any Stephen King books, have you?"

"No!" Elizabeth flushed. Along she enjoyed a good Stephen King book, she couldn't blame her nightmares on them. Though there was a part of Elizabeth that had an inkling of just where her nightmares were coming from, or at least, who they were attached to though she couldn't exactly confide to Patrick about that. He would think her completely crazy. "It's probably all the stress, you know? Quitting my job, and not to mention the Jason thing." Her eyes darted to him over the rim of her cup, and she bit the inside of her cheek. "How are you doing by the way? We haven't talked since…"

"Since my mini meltdown?" Patrick smiled, ruefully. "I guess it was better that I find out just exactly what kind of person Sam was in that moment then after we had walked down the aisle. It hurts when the hopes you've placed on someone come crashing down, but it's been months, I can't keep holding onto hurt and try to move forward. It doesn't work out that way. I think at this point, I'm angrier for Emma."

Elizabeth nodded. "It's hard for her to understand. She feels abandoned, doesn't she?" She asked, feeling a keen pain in her chest. She understood that kind of pain more than anyone ever knew, and she had a knuckle white grip on the warm coffee cup in her hands.

"Yes," Patrick answered, with a furrow of his brow. "The other day we ran into Sam and Danny at the park. Emma went to say hello, and Sam _ignored_ her. Walked away like Emma wasn't even there, upsetting both Emma and Danny. I spent the whole night calming my daughter down. After everything she has been through because of Robin…she shouldn't have to deal with this."

Elizabeth felt a spark of anger burn inside of her chest. She had thought Sam would have the decency to still care about Emma, or Patrick for that matter. It appears though that Sam only extends such courtesy to others only when she stands to gain something from it, and now that Jason is back, she had no need to be with Patrick or care about Emma. "I'm sorry," Elizabeth told him, lightly. "I should have warned you about Sam, but I saw how happy you were. You hadn't been that truly happy since Robin, and even though I hated Sam, I cared about you more. I really wanted things to work out for you."

"I know you did, it's just…" Patrick trailed off, when his eyes pinpointed on something beyond Elizabeth's shoulder. "You have to be kidding me," he groaned, dropping his face into his hands.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not what. Who."

Elizabeth craned her neck to peer over her shoulder just in time to see Jason and Sam walk in. She made a mute noise of aggravation in the back of her throat, and turned back around towards Patrick. "Ignore them," she mouthed to Patrick, and she managed to pull her face into a smile as Kiki brought their food out to them. "Thank you, Kiki. It looks and smells amazing. Tell Mike that he still has it after all these years."

"I will," Kiki smiled, setting Patrick's food done in front of him. She turned and walked away from the two, her eyes flickered over to Jason and Sam. She had a bad feeling that something was about to go down, and she didn't want to be in the middle of the dining area when it all fell apart.

Elizabeth lifted her fork to cut into her crepe, and looked pointedly at Patrick. The neurosurgeon dropped his hands from his face, and picked up his silverware to follow Elizabeth's lead. A proud smile curled on the edge of her lips, and she started to eat. They didn't have to let Jason and Sam get to them, if they didn't want them to.

Of course, that all went out the window when a voice said, "Patrick? Elizabeth?"

 _Oh, God, why was Sam McCall so obtuse? Why couldn't she not be nosy for once in her life?_ Elizabeth didn't hurry to swallow the sweet and delicate bite of food. She could feel Patrick's amused stare on her face, and the glare on the side of her face. Taking a sip of her coffee, Elizabeth smiled looking up at Sam's glare as if it were nothing at all. "Sam, what a pleasant surprise," she stated, with a saccharine tone. "How are you today?"

Sam's frown deepened, her dark eyes flickered from Elizabeth to Patrick. There was a hint of jealousy there in those dark depths, but the con-artist quickly concealed it. "Oh, please, don't act like you care just because Jason is within earshot," she told Elizabeth, a hint of a smug and shark-like smile on her face. "I told him about how you were keeping Jake from us."

"Correction, I am keeping Jake from you," Elizabeth said, a smirk appeared on her lips. She saw the flicker of surprise on Sam's face. Apparently the woman thought that Jason would be some kind of deterrent and that Elizabeth would hold back. "Jason can see him any time. If he wants to take him out to the park, or to the movies, but my only stipulation is that he isn't alone with you."

"Elizabeth, Sam is Jake's stepmom and—" Jason started, with a morose expression. He wished that he had just took Sam by the arm, and they hadn't walked into Kelly's. Fighting Elizabeth was a hollow endeavor, and it always made his stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Sam is nothing to my son," Elizabeth said, breezily. Her blue eyes were artic cold, and her expression was carefully composed. She cut into her food with a careful precision, and lifted the bit to her lips, chewing it thoughtfully. "She may be married to you, but her interactions with Jake will be limited. I have my reasons, and I will happily air them out here in the public if that is your desire." She tilted her chin so she could look straight up into Sam's face, and she smiled at the flash of panic she saw there. "Is that what you want, Sam?"

Color swept into Sam's cheeks, and a sour expression twisted across the woman's face. "I'd rather not. No one should have to listen to whatever nonsense you try to sprout, Elizabeth," Sam snapped, failing to appear unconcerned by the veiled threat. Instead, her defensive posturing drew a strange look from both Patrick and Jason. "Least of all, Jason and I."

"Call it whatever name you feel like to make yourself feel secure, Sam," Elizabeth stated, primly. The last ten years, Sam had treated Elizabeth like a social pariah. She acted like she was the victim of all their interactions, and as if Elizabeth was the horrible manipulator and liar. Elizabeth could only imagine what story was spun to Jason about their interactions only days ago that the hospital. The former nurse had endured a lifetime of whispers and judgmental stares and being the town's punching bag, so her tolerance for bullshit was at an all-time low and the kids gloves were firmly off. "You do remember Maureen Harper and Amelia Joffery, yes? They certainly remember you."

All the blood seemed to drain out of Sam's face, and her mouth dropped open in pure horror. It had been exactly who what she feared. That Elizabeth would use the past against her if Sam tried anything, and that Elizabeth was no longer playing around. "I don't know who you are talking about," Sam tried to bluff, but even she was aware of the tremble in her voice. It was so much worse when Jason and Patrick sent her curious looks.

"Whatever you say, Sam," Elizabeth smiled. "Now if you'll excuse us, we were having a perfectly nice meal until you two interrupted."

Sam bristled at the clear dismissal, and huffed loudly. She opened her mouth to say something else, to bring up Elizabeth's own misdeed, but Jason grabbed her by her elbow, tugging her away from their table.

Elizabeth sighed.

"Who is Maureen Harper and Amelia Joffery? And why did Sam look like she had seen a ghost when you mentioned their names?" Patrick asked, his tone barely more than a whisper.

"All I will say is that I have let bygones be bygones when I should have stood up and not let Sam get away with what she did. But I trusted that Jason and Lucky knew best. An utter mistake considering the way Sam has been coming after me. I'm not some wilting flower that's going to take that, especially where my kids are concerned. If that means digging up a few skeletons of Sam's then so be it," Elizabeth told him, seriously. She stabbed a strawberry on the tip of her fork, and popped it into her mouth. "It does make for a conveniently weapon at times," she added as an afterthought, and a hint of a smirk on her lips.

Patrick looked impressed, despite himself. "Who are you and what have you done with Elizabeth Webber?"

Elizabeth gave an unladylike snort. "I'm still me. I've just had enough of the hypocrisy and being a doormat for people. I've been walked on and I let it happen because somewhere down the line I began to believe I deserved it for all the mistakes I had made throughout my life. But then I realized something," she stated, simply. "I can't hold onto my mistakes and allow the past be here with me in the present, because there is not future in it."

Before Patrick could even muster up a reply, thunder roared outside and dark clouds instantly turned the sunny day to a rainy one in a matter of a few seconds. "Oh, shit," Elizabeth said, her voice weak and feeble against the thunder that shook Kelly's diner. A nervous skirted down her spine that told her that wasn't normal thunder, and she swallowed thickly.

And she was _right_.

The doors to Kelly's blew open, and in walked a mountain of a man with golden hair that was as bright as the sun, and stormy blue eyes. He was dressed in armor that was fair from ceremonially, and his red cape fluttered dramatically behind him. As if it weren't a shock to see the God of Thunder again, Elizabeth's mouth dropped open at the young woman he was carrying in his arms.

"Okay, big guy," Darcy Lewis said, patting Thor's shoulder affectionately. "You can let me down."

Thor flashed Darcy a toothy smile before he set her daintily on her feet.

"Darcy?!" Elizabeth nearly shrieked in shock. Her eyes nearly bugged out at the sight of her cousin, Darcy, who stood there with a big smile on her face as she fixed herself glasses and then her hair that had been messed up by the wind.

Not many people knew about Rick Webber's daughter Delilah who he had in some nameless affair several years ago. But after Rick Webber was killed, Jeff Webber had found out about his brother's indiscretions and went on a search for Delilah. He had found her after about a year, and also found that Delilah had a child of her own, Darcy Lewis. Delilah had been young when she had Darcy, only the tender age of sixteen, and had down her damnedest to provide everything to give her daughter a better future. A family connection wasn't one that Delilah had ever thought she could give Darcy, but thanks to Jeff pulling his head out of his ass and taking an interest in his family's lives, he managed to bring Delilah, Darcy and Elizabeth together even from the other side of the world.

Darcy waved awkwardly at her cousin. "Yo, fam, how is it hanging?"

"Don't you act all nonchalant with me, Darcy Marie Lewis," Elizabeth rose out of her chair, eyeballing Thor out of the corner of her eye warily. "What the heck is going on? And why are you riding shotgun with the God of Thunder?"

"Well…" Darcy drawled out the word. "It's a rather long story. That sleepy little town in New Mexico a couple of years ago? Turns out it wasn't so sleepy."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"Well, God of Muscles over there fell out of a storm. Jane hit him with her, and then I tased him," Darcy explained, hurriedly. She shifted on the balls of her feet nervously, and eyed all the people in the small diner. She was pretty sure the blond waitress was calling the cops. "Then Jane hit him her car again. We kidnapped from the hospital, and helped him evade capture by the poor man's MIB. Then his nefarious brother sent this giant metal robot thingy to blow up the town, and kill Thor. Which Thor stopped with his hand hammer Mew Mew, and that was totally awesome."

Thor looked at Darcy with a pleased smile. "Indeed, Lady Darcy speaks the truth. Though I wish you would stop calling Mjölnir that," he added, though his tone of voice said he wasn't truly angered by the botched name of his hammer.

"Mew Mew likes it," Darcy defended.

Elizabeth felt her heart plummet into her stomach. She struggled to process that not only did her cousin know the infamous Thor that she only got glimpses of when Loki snuck her onto Asgard, but it was a bitter pill to swallow, hearing about the God of Mischief's horrendous deeds. Even after watching the footage from the Battle of New York, there was that little naïve shred of doubt that she clung to. "L-Loki did what?"

Darcy gave her a look of confusion that quickly melted into suspicion. "Lizzie, want to let me know why you are so shocked, or better yet seem to be on first name basis with an Asgardian God?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Elizabeth said, completely avoiding the topic of Loki.

Darcy paused. "Touché."

"Um," Patrick raised his hand like a child at school, "for those that are hopelessly confused? What is going on here? Why is the one of the Avengers in Kelly's?" The doctor had to pick his jaw up off the floor when the God of Thunder came walking in. He had recognized him from the footage of the Battle of New York, and of course, the media coverage that followed afterwards. The Avengers were quickly becoming the world's best known heroes, and he never imagined one dropping her in Port Charles. Let alone with a mysterious cousin that Patrick didn't think he heard Elizabeth ever speak about.

Thor turned towards the man, eyeing him curiously. He saw that Lady Elizabeth had been dining with him, and he hoped for his brother's sake that he was not some kind of suitor. Otherwise, Loki could be driven back into the deep dark place that Thor and Frigga so desperately were trying to pull him out of. "Milady," Thor took a step forward, and greeted Elizabeth. "I apologize for the hastiness in which we approach you, but I fear that you may be the only one that can save my brother."

"S-save him?" Elizabeth floundered. Why would Loki need her help now? After nineteen years, of silence? "From what?"

"From himself."

* * *

END OF CHAPTER!

Obviously, I've hinted that Loki and Liz knew each other. Understand that Liz was a minor when Loki met her, so there was no hanky panky back then. Why Loki connected with her, there is a reason that will be revealed in the next chapter and why their destines are entwined.

ALSO! There will be a Jason epilogue that I will write for this story, and will add in at later date. I will move it to where it will set before this chapter, so keep an eye out. And who is Elizabeth's mystery caller? Find out in the next chapter.

Thank you all!

RRS are appreciated.


	5. Loki - Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS. This is for amusement purposes only.

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Liz/Loki Thor/Jane Darcy/Patrick mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy, but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala, maddiemom, aphass, bjq, SoapOperaEmpress, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134 for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo, bookfreak25, maddiemom, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134 for the favs!

I want to thank the reviews, trini12180, arcoiris0502, kcke2pen, jenmatl9, leasmom, abstractartist, guest, bjq, ilovedana53, Mona, CandyHearts22, rnbabes! :D

Guest reviews:

Leasmom: Thank you! Glad that you are enjoying everything. That's how I see Jason right now on the show, is that they are making him nothing more than a lapdog to Sam. Only a few times I have actually believed them as a couple, and that's sad for how many months they've put into them.

Guest: Thank you for the review. I'm glad that you've enjoyed the stories so far, and Liason is my first OTP, but I like writing Liz having a happy ending. She deserves it, and who knows? A Liz/Patrick ending may be in the cards. ;)

Mona: Glad that you like how the Loki/Liz story is shaping up. It will become clear in the next couple of chapters, and develop. While the story will be mostly resolved, there will be a bit of an open ending that will allow me to make sequels later on. Yes, Patrick and Elizabeth's friendship was one of the bright spots in GH. It's sad that we don't have that anymore.

Rnbabes: Glad that you like it. :D

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

" **The Prolonged Winter"**

 **NINETEEN YEARS AGO**

 **NEW HOPE, COLORADO**

Annoyance flooded through the God of Mischief as he ran his fingers through his dark brown, nearly black, hair and his icy green gaze cut peered down the dimly lit street on a cloudy and bleak night. Loki couldn't believe his father, Odin the Allfather, had given him such a menial task. Surely such labors were beneath him, the God of Mischief, but he had no choice but to obey a request from his king. The world hadn't changed much from the last time he had been, about seventy or eighty years ago—a blink of an eye to someone as long lived as him. He noted that the vehicles were much more sleeker than the clunky models from back then, and the mortals were certainly more open about sexuality than they had been, he thought as his eyes glanced across a rather crude store called "XXX Videos". He almost smirked, imagining the scandalized look on his mother and Sif face if they saw such a thing.

Loki drew in a deep breath, trying to focus on the task bestowed upon him. He had been charged to the find "the Seer", a woman foretold by the Nords long ago that could change the shape of destiny with her visions. This was a great concern, for the tapestry of destiny was weaved by Frigga and guarded fiercely by Odin. Should a person be able to unknot the cords of fate just by changing the future foretold could have far reaching consequences? It was only natural that Odin would try to cultivate such a force to his side, or be swiftly rid of an enemy if he could not. He'd been so lost in his thoughts, trudging along the sidewalk, that he didn't see the person until he had bumped into them.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Irritation burned through his veins, and Loki turned with a cutting remark on his tongue, but his silver tongue failed him. It was not often that he was taken aback, only a handful times in his entire life, but none shaken him quite like this. A powerful sorcerer Loki could see the strands of magic and power, and this small brunette girl of no more than fourteen year annuals reeked of power. _The Seer,_ Loki thought, the epiphany burning through him like a quickening. _This must be her._

He had not expected this. He had expected a short little human with the face of a toad, bowlegged and round with a walking stick in one hand, like all the Midgard mystics depicted in his childhood bedtime stories. Instead, a young woman no more than five foot one in height stood there. With milky pale skin that was smooth and flawless, she looked up at him with wide blue eyes and supple pink lips pressed together in irritation. Her cheeks still held baby fat that would smooth away in a few more years giving her a classical beauty that would rival even the greatest beauties on Asgard, and garner her more than a few suitors when she came of age.

Loki had to crane his head to look down at her and those eyes of hers was filled with annoyance and a small bit of curiosity, much to his amusement. Her face had been painted making her appear like a young woman rather than the child she really was. The thought pierced him through his heart, and he felt his irritation melt away into something akin to pity. Despite what her appearance might imply, there was an innocent to her that could not be missed. Such innocence did not belong under his father's thumb, for while Odin was fair and just, he could be ruthless. A mortal with such a gift would be considered nothing more than a tool to further the greater good, and he swallowed thickly.

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," the girl said, cuttingly.

A mirthless smile etched onto his face. "Such manners. What would your parents think?"

The girl's expression turned frosty and she looked away from him. "Like they'd care. They've got their golden child. Why would they concern themselves with the black sheep?" She stated, with a nonchalant tone. Yet there was tension along her jaw that betrayed the pain held deep inside. Her blue eyes flickered back towards him, and her brow arched slightly. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here."

"You are mistaken," Loki commented, with a light shrug of his shoulder. There was an uncomfortable knot in his stomach the more he looked upon her, and indecision crept sluggishly through his heart. His father bid him to bring the Seer back to Asgard, but such innocence as hers would not survive there. Not used for her visions, and treated like little more than an animal. "You simply must have missed me amongst the crowd."

She gave him a deadpanned stare. "The population is not even five hundred, and I've lived here all my life. There's no way I would miss someone like you in this small of a town," she told him, bluntly. "So where did you come from and why are you here?"

Loki had to smother a smile. She had such a brusque attitude that he had assumed she would have easily fall for his lie, instead he found that despite her honest nature that she was most shrewdly clever. For some reason, he was pleased by this. "You are right. I lied," he admitted, easily. "I admit that I had hoped to go unnoticed. I have travelled very far, and fear that I was hoping to avoid needless conversations if I could."

"Ah. I know that feeling," the teenager said, understanding flashed across her face. The tension in her shoulders eased lightly, and there was a brief hesitation before a resolution settled in her eyes. She held out her hand for him to shake, and said with a cautious smile, "I'm Elizabeth Webber."

Loki lifted his hand to take hers when his green eyes caught sight of the mark on the inside of her wrist. At first, his mind dismissed it as a tattoo, but then he actually _looked,_ and his breath stuttered out of his lungs. He went till from head to toe, and all the blood drained out of his face.

"Are you alright? Y-you've gone really pale?" Elizabeth Webber asked him, eyeing him with concern yet a healthy amount of carefulness.

Loki swallowed the knot in his throat long enough to murmur a 'yes', but the truth was inside of him was a torrent of emotions. His green eyes were fixated on the Celtic knot that was hidden to the rest of the world by concealer, but bare for him to see. Humans did not have bond mate, or soul mate, marks. They were not born with a mark that matched the other half of their soul, and this girl—so young that it was painfully for him—had been born with such a mark. But it wasn't the strangeness of this mark that stole Loki's breath from his lungs.

It was the fact that the mark was a perfect matched for the one branded on top of his skin right above his heart.

* * *

 **PRESENT TIME**

 **PORT CHARLES**

Elizabeth stood there, with her hands trembling in front of her. Her lungs felt too tight, and each gasp of air that she drew in burned down her lungs with a force that almost made her knees crumbled out from underneath her. Loki had unexpectedly come into her life, bumping into her one summer day when she was fourteen. She always hated staying in at the house, being cooped up with Sarah and her mother while her father went to the nearby city. Steve was off in college and had left them behind without a single glance. So Elizabeth walked the streets at night. In such a sleepy town, nothing ever really happened and if it did, Elizabeth had her pepper spray. It seemed so mall at first, bumping into Loki, never taking into account how it would change her life.

Perhaps, she should have been wary. A strange man who appeared only a few years older than her—handsome, but still a stranger—who had taken to spending time with her. Yet something in the marrow of her bones told her that there wasn't a person on this green earth that she could trust more than him, which was almost comical considering he was the Trickster. He had eventually showed her magic, though the reason why was something she couldn't quite remember. Like a hazy part of a dream, there was no way to focus on the thought. He had snuck her into Asgard many times, and showed her wonders that she could barely dream of.

And then he was gone.

It happened in the same week her parents dumped her on the neighbors, like an afterthought. The pillar of stability in her life, the one person that understood her was gone, when she needed him the most. Her pulse thumped in the base of her throat, and it was only until Darcy called her name that she was drawn back into the present. She sucked in a rough breath, and blinked rapidly until she craned her head back to look up at the God of Thunder. "Wh-what do you mean save Loki from himself?" She asked, her voice laced with pain from old wounds.

Thor released a deep sigh, a look of sorrow and exhaustion upon his face. His blue eyes pulled off from Elizabeth, and glanced around the diner to the many faces staring unabashed at them in shock. His eyes stilled on the dark brunette standing by a man in a leather jacket. She wore little clothing, leaving little to the imagination and he recognized her. His mother had shown him with her magic, and told him that she—amongst others—would be a source of trouble. Whether the man next to her would be same, his mother had told him was undecided, but Thor was not taking a chance. Jaw clenched, Thor reached out grasping her carefully by the shoulder as to not startle her nor frighten her. "This is not the place to explain. There are too many ears, and I fear that we must cautious with this knowledge," he told her, his voice a low rumble.

Elizabeth hesitated.

Darcy twisted her hands, nervously. "Look, Beth, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't something serious," she told her cousin, sincerely. "And Thor is right. This isn't the place to do speak about this. Especially with shankzilla and rent-a-thug within earshot," she added, in an exaggerated whisper that wasn't really a whisper at all.

Patrick choked on a laugh, using a hand to smother a smile.

"How dare you?" Sam shouted, catching the insult.

"Call it how I see it, sweetie," Darcy shot her a saccharine smile.

Elizabeth would have laughed, if circumstances had been different.

"Please," Thor said, looking at Elizabeth beseechingly.

Elizabeth stood there, gnawing on her lower lip. She couldn't deny that this wasn't a discussion she wanted to have out in the open especially with Sam, who was looking for any dirt to use against her. "Alright. We can go to my place," she agreed, with a small nod.

Patrick stood up out of his chair, now that the shock had worn off and looked at Elizabeth. "Uh, Elizabeth, I'm not sure that is a good idea," he stated, with great hesitation in his tone. His dark eyes flickered from Darcy, who looked at him appraisingly, and then at Thor. "I don't have an idea of what is going on, or how you apparently know his brother, but not to be rude, trouble seems to follow the Avengers. No offense."

"None taken," Thor inclined his head.

"Look, Patrick," Elizabeth released a sigh, brushing her hair out of her face, "I know you are concerned, but I really need to take care of this. I promise that I'll call you."

"Not good enough," Patrick told her, with a sharp tone. "I'm coming with you."

"A take charge kind of man," Darcy's brow rose, and a flirtiest tone in her voice. "I likey."

Patrick paused, his lips twitched into an uncertain smile.

Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, and shook her head. "Fine, but let's go," she told them, impatiently. She gave them all a quelling glance, and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you haven't noticed, thunder happy practically announced his presence with his lightning show and there are eyes that I would like to not been seen by anymore."

Thor looked slight sheepish, scratching his at his beard as his cheeks turned pink.

"To be fair, I don't think he would have been known as the God of Thunder if he knew what subtlety was," Darcy pointed out, thoughtfully. She then flashed Thor a toothy smile, nudging his arm with hers. "And that's a good thing."

"I shall take your word for it, Lady Darcy," Thor smiled.

Patrick start to say something when noticed Sam and Jason approaching out of the corner of his eye. "Perhaps we should take my vehicle. It's a big van, roomy and comfortable," he said, with a tight smile.

Elizabeth knew Patrick was trying to herd them out to avoid the confrontation before it happened, and in a perfect world, they could get out the door before everything imploded. Sadly, it wasn't a perfect world. "That's because it's a soccer mom van," Elizabeth teased, with a light smile.

"It _is_ not," Patrick said, offended.

"I'm a soccer mom, and I even cringe at the sight of that van."

"Elizabeth," Jason stated, firmly as he stepped up the group. His eyes were crinkled with tension, and his lips were turned downward into a frown. "What is going on? Who are they?"

Elizabeth's eyes flared with annoyance. "Jason, what or who I interact with doesn't affect you. You wanted nothing to do with me. You've made that pretty clear so you don't get to put your nose back into my life when it's convenient to you," she told him, with a scathing look on her face.

"It is my business if affects Jake," Jason retorted, not happy.

"Yeah," Sam stood by her man. "And this Loki you all are speaking of…it's the same one who did the battle of New York? You are trying to save a man who tried to conquer the planet? What the hell is wrong with you?" She tossed a disgusted look at Elizabeth.

"Sam, why don't you shut and not talk about things you just don't understand," Elizabeth snapped, angrily.

"You're insane if you think Jason is going to let you bring his son around that psycho pa—aw! You bitch!" Sam grasped her burning cheek, and glowered at Darcy who still had her open palm raised in the air from where she smacked Sam clear across the face.

Jason started forward, but one dark look from Thor, whose hammer crackled with lightning, made him stop in step. "That was entirely called for," Jason growled, glaring.

"I think not. Your woman—if she can truly be called that—had not grasp of the situation, and is making speculations when she knows only the minimal information," Thor countered, darkly. He looked like he thoroughly wanted to smite Jason and Sam off the face of the planet. "It is not her place for this matter has nothing to do with her, and nor does it have with you."

Jason opened his mouth, but faltered when Elizabeth stepped between him and Thor. She gave him a thoroughly disappointed look. "You know, Jason I know that we have had our issues, but I always thought our friendship was stronger than them," she commented, with a wounded look on her face. "I have always had this unshakable faith in you. For once, can you just repay the favor and have that faith in me? Have faith that I wouldn't put my son in harm's way, and the only reason I'm considering helping Thor is because I know that there is more to Loki than the mess he made in New York."

Jason swallowed, his hands clenched at his sides. Shame filtered across his face when he realized why Elizabeth felt that way, and he let loose a weighted breath. "Please, keep me updated. If anything goes wrong, I want to be there to help protect you and the boys," he said, sincerely.

Elizabeth relaxed, and a small smile crossed her face. "Okay. I will."

"Jason, you can't be serious—" Sam started.

Jason cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Sam, please. Not now."

Sam crossed her arms over her chest, but kept her mouth shut. That didn't stop her from shooting Elizabeth a venomous look like she wished that Elizabeth would just fall off the side of the earth.

Elizabeth barely contained a roll of her eyes. "Come on. Let's us go."

* * *

Loki sat wrapped in a blanket in the back of a black unmarked van with a gun trained on him at all times. He sent the Black Widow a sneer, but otherwise made no movement. He didn't understand why his brother had smuggled him to Earth. Earth was the last place—second to last since Asgard was the first—that he wanted to be, and he knew that the earthlings felt the same way about him. People tend to be fickle and unforgiving when someone tried to conquer their world. He canted his shoulders forward, curling in on himself like a wounded animal. "Why has my brother brought me here?" He finally spoke, breaking the silence. "What does Port Charles have that would interested him?"

Black Widow just narrowed her eyes on him.

Loki let out a huff with an eyeroll. It was going be a long ride.

* * *

Elizabeth dragged her fingers through her hair. She could barely wrap her mind around all that Thor had laid at her feet, and her heart was clutched in a painfully tight vice. Each thump of it seemed to move through her veins like shards of glass, and she slumped down onto her chair. She ran her hands down her face, and swallowed to moisten her dry mouth. "I don't know what you expect me to do," she finally said, letting her hands drop into her lap. "How am I supposed to save Loki from whatever this…Thanos guy did to him? What makes you think that I will be able to help him where you couldn't?"

Thor clasped him hands in front of him. "You are special to Loki in a way no other can claim. If anyone can reach to the real him buried underneath the self-loathing and hatred that has clouded his mind, it would be you, Lady Elizabeth," the God of Thunder stated, with the utmost confidence.

"Special?" Elizabeth scoffed, lightly. "He left out of my life without even so much as a goodbye. With no reason or explanation, so I fail to see how I can be special to him when he could so easily slip out of my life with no regrets."

"There is more to Loki's departure than you know," Thor countered, with a deep frown. "He did not leave on his own volition, and if things had gone his way, he would have never left you behind."

"You need to tell her," Darcy whispered, nudging Thor's side with her elbow.

Patrick sat on the arm of the chair Elizabeth sat in with his legs out in front of him, and crossed at the ankles. His had his arms crossed over his chest, and his dark eyes flickered from the brunette woman—whom he had to reluctantly admit that his eyes had lingered on more than necessary—to the tall Asgardian whom looked like he had been through hell and back. "Tell her what?" Patrick demanded, his eyes narrowed. "What more does Elizabeth need to know?"

Thor let out a huge breath, and bowed his head. "Loki…implied that the Allfather took something from him. My brother is the silvertongue for a reason, so I initially thought that he was just trying to drive a wedge between my father and I. However, there was a desperation in Loki. A true and real pain that not even he could hide from," the Norse God sighed, running a hand along the length of his beard. "His words would not leave me, so I went to my father hoping for some kind of answer."

 _Thor's footfalls echoed all around the throne room as he approached his father, Odin. The Allfather sat loftily upon his throne with his legendary spear, Gungnir, held in a loose grasp. His one good eye narrowed upon his eldest child, and his impassive expression seemed to hardened. "What bring you before my throne, my son?" Odin asked, in a commanding voice that seemed to rumble through the entire room._

" _I have been to seen him," Thor told his father._

" _Against my wishes," Odin retorted, with thinly veiled disapproval. "I hope that you have good reasons for defying your king?"_

 _Thor's nostrils flared as he drew in a deep calmly breath. It took much self-restraint to wrestle his temper back under his control before he did something that could make this situation worse for Loki and himself. "He is my brother. He is family," Thor defended, staring up at his father with an almost defiant expression. "What reason do I need other than that?"_

 _For a split second Odin's face softened, but it was gone as swiftly as it came. "And what did the liesmith have to say when you went to speak to him? I hardly think it words of repentance for he has none," the Allfather commented, scathingly._

" _I did not ask for his repentance. Only for his reasons. I wished to know why my brother felt the need to turn such darkness in hopes that I may show him the error of his ways, but he said something that I seek clarification on," Thor said, diplomatically. It was true that the God of Thunder often exerted his brawn over his brains, but he was far from stupid. He may be a slow learner, but he learned. "He claims that it was not only mere jealousy that sent him on his dark path, but that you stole something from him."_

 _The Allfather looked thunderous. "And you believe him?"_

" _I believe his pain," Thor replied, his jaw clenched. "His words I reserve judgment for."_

 _His father was always intimidating. His severe countenance had always daunting to endure each time he came to stand before his throne, even when Thor knew that he hadn't done anything wrong. He seemed larger than life, and his voice always filled a room. Very few would dare defy Odin, and even fewer lived to tell about it. It was no different than all those, except a coldness settled into Thor's stomach the longer the silence hang between them like the edge of a knife._

" _Your place is not to judge him, whether it be words or deeds," Odin finally spoke, his tone grim. He looked thoroughly displeased, and weary all in the same moment. "I will hear no more talk about the Trickster, or what he claims. Now begone. I have matters of the realm that I must deal with." The Allfather rose from his throne, clearly dismissing his son._

 _But Thor did not move. "What did you take from him?" His voice was low and barely more than a whisper. A chill crawled over his skin, like needles prickling at him when he realized that there was some weight to Loki's accusation._

" _I said go!" Odin growled._

" _What did you take from him?" Thor yellowed back. His face contorted with fury, and he took a step forward. His father's guard raised their weapons was the only thing that made him from going any further, and his hands curled into bloodless fists at his side._

" _You dare—" Odin began, but another voice stopped his rage._

" _Enough!" The new voice cracked like a whip through the anger and Frigga, his mother and Queen, walked into the room with purpose in each step she took. Her face was drawn tight with disappointment and ire, her narrowed eyes flickered from her husband to Thor. "There is enough strife in this family already than to add discontent between the two of you."_

" _Frigga," Odin started, but fell silent at the glare that his wife shot him._

" _You should have never taken his memories. You should have never taken_ her _from him. You knew what she was to him, but you chose to entertain your prejudice against the mortal world," Frigga told him, an untold amount of grief upon her face. She stared at her husband for a long moment before she shook her head side to side. "He was never the same after you striped away those memories. He might not have remembered, but he was keenly aware of the void that she left in his life."_

" _Her?" Thor asked, his eyes wide. He always knew his father held a great many of powers, but to take away memories? And who was this mysterious woman that the Allfather did not want Loki to remember? His felt emotions churn inside of him, a conflict tearing into his heart. He had never questioned his father always had the realms interest at heart, but it never occurred to him that the realm did not include his family._

 _Frigga just looked at her son with tears glistened in her eyes. "This is all our fault."_

 _And for the first time, Thor was beginning to believe that._

Elizabeth sat there, with a thousand yard stare. There was a despondent ache of an old heartbreak swelled up beneath her breath, and she let out a long shaky breath. She always thought he had left. Gotten bored with the little mortal and moved on without a goodbye. It had been one thing that had always lingered in the back of her head, incessantly and followed her into many of her interactions with people thereafter. The sacrifices she made in order to keep people in her life, or how she walked away in order not to give another person the chance to hurt like Loki had. "I don't understand," Elizabeth said, her voice cracking. "Why…why did Odin take away Loki's memories? What was so wrong with Loki having me in his life?"

"Thor's dad isn't exactly mortal friendly," Darcy commented, making a face. "When Thor brought Jane and I with him to Asgard a few months back, Odin referred to us as goats."

"Goats?" Patrick raised a brow.

"I know, right? For a god king person, you'd think he'd have better and more subtle insults," Darcy said, bluntly. It put a half smile on the handsome doctor's face which had been Darcy's goal with the comment. There was a sad, tiredness to him that called out to Darcy's sneaky ninja nurturing side that demanded her to take care of him. Didn't hurt that he had a suave James Dean kind of look to him, and a genuine good guy unlike her ex.

"I do not know that answer. I will not even pretend to understand where my father's mind was at when he made this decision," Thor told her, with a sympathetic look. "All I can tell you that Loki would have never left you. Not without a fight, but the Allfather is powerful. Loki may have a gift for tricks, but he was outmatched."

"But why?" Elizabeth asked.

Thor's jaw worked up and down. "I believe the Allfather was threatened by you."

"I…" Elizabeth trailed off, brushing her hair out of her face. "I just don't understand why I am so important to Loki. Why would you think that me out of everyone he has known through his long life can help him now? Why was I so threatening to Odin that he erased me out Loki's life? I'm just a normal person," she said, still very much confused.

"I wish that I could answer your questions, Lady Elizabeth," Thor told her, with a light shrug of his shoulder. "However, the answers are not ones that I have. If anyone can explain why Loki's memories of you were taken away, or why you are so important to him, it would be Loki who can give you those answers. No one else."

Elizabeth sighed. "Alright. Let's say I can help Loki. From what you've said he's locked away—"

Thor coughed, looking vaguely embarrassed. "That is…uh, no longer a problem," the God of Thunder stated, quickly.

Elizabeth arched a brow. "Should I be worried about the wrath of Asgard descending upon Port Charles?" She asked, only half joking. Port Charles was hectic and drama filled on a normal day. To add ancient gods that could literally crush mortals beneath their boots, Elizabeth shuddered even thinking about the carnage.

"Port Charles is…currently, shielded from Asgard," Thor explained, vaguely. "Have no fear. There shall be no war brought down upon you."

"And even if there were, you've got us," Darcy smiled, broadly.

"Me, too," Patrick added, nudging her arm with his. He smiled broadly down at her with his dimples on full display. "I admit I knew you have been through some unbelievably crazy stuff in your life, but I never imagined this level insanity. That being said, I'm your friend and I'm here no matter how insane this all gets."

The tension in her shoulders eased ever so slightly, and a smile eased across her face. "For all our sakes, I really hope that you all are right," the nurse chuckled, reaching up to rub the tension around her neck away. Her eyes flickered across her home, the place that was her sanctuary for her and her boys. A foreboding sensation rolled in the pit of her stomach, and she repeated, this time barely audible, "I hope you are right."

* * *

Sam Morgan thought she had it all, or maybe she was just fooling herself.

She had only felt this humiliating anger only one other time in her life, and that was when Jason slept then fell in love with little Miss Muffin. When her life was nearly taken from her—and she would deny that she had a hand in that mess with her dying breathe placing all the blame on top of Elizabeth Webber's shoulder—and she thought she had won when Jason came back to her. When he started a family with her, and she remembered how smug she was when she saw the hurt when she went to schedule her appointment with Kelly on Jake's birthday only weeks after the boy's death. _If only Helena had really done away with him then Jason wouldn't have a connection with Elizabeth_ , Sam thought darkly, glaring at the door to the penthouse where Jason had exited after they had gotten into a huge blow out.

Sam ignored the fact that as Jake Doe, Jason had been drawn to Elizabeth and they had built a friendship a whole year before Jason's identity came out. Her heart thundered in her heart, each beat made the boiling heat in her blood grow closer and closer to a fever pitch. She couldn't believe that he still cared about Elizabeth enough to protect her from whatever damsel in distress act she conjured up this time around. She had thought when Jason hadn't gone anywhere near Elizabeth except when it came to Jake that finally she had his entire heart. Now she saw that wasn't true at all. She had known that there had been feelings between them back when Elizabeth offered Jake a place to stay, but she thought it hadn't matter.

She had thought that she had mattered more to Jason than Elizabeth ever would.

Part of her just wished that Elizabeth had somehow known about Jason's identity. That way the connection would severed when Elizabeth showed her true face. Again Sam ignored the fact she was projected her own self onto Elizabeth, because if she acknowledged that it wouldn't make things so clear cut and easy. Sam stood there, panting with wrathful breaths and paced the length of the floor. She had to get Elizabeth out of her life once and for all. She had to end this vicious cycle where Jason would always put Elizabeth's welfare before anything else, like protecting a fragile angel from the darkness and chaos from the world.

 _No, Elizabeth deserved darkness and chaos. She deserved punishment for all the wrongs she had done and the lives she messed with because she was a worthless, spineless coward_ , a dark voice crooned from the back of Sam's mind. A voice that spurred on the hatred in Sam's heart, and soon Sam found the phone cradled in her hand. It was pressed painfully tight against her ear, and a devious smile crossed upon her face. "Hello, Nina," Sam practically chirped, barely containing a wicked chuckle. "I know that your magazine, Crimson, has been having a lot of trouble lately, and I have a story that could put in back into business faster than a blink than an eye. Only one question…how much of a conscious do you have when it comes to Elizabeth Webber?"

Sam had a feeling that it was none. Nina had been rather interested in Dr. Griffin Monroe, but the red head beauty was convinced that the doctor was head over heels for Nurse Webber's milkshake. It wasn't true, of course. The former priest was going through a rather hard time after discovering he was attracted to males, and only confided in Elizabeth. However, Sam wasn't above pulling to wool over Nina's eyes for her own agenda.

"Perfect," Sam was pleased by Nina's answer. "Here's what you need to know…"

* * *

Elizabeth wrung her hands nervously together when the black van pulled in her driveway. Her teeth sank so painfully down into her lip that she swore she tasted blood. Darcy was rubbing circles on her back, and chatting on about political science in an attempt to give Elizabeth a distraction. But Elizabeth was beyond such distractions. Her head pulsed and throbbed while a knot formed in her heart, and an invisible hand agonizingly tugged on that knot, trying to pull her out the front door. _Trying to pull her to Loki_ , she realized slightly breathlessly. Thor opened the front door, admitting a woman with fiery red hair and flawless pale skin. Her sea green eyes were sharp like the edge of knife, and just as keen, taking in her surroundings in a split second.

The Black Widow. She remembered her from news footage from the Battle of New York. The world hailed the Avengers as heroes, but she heard that the Black Widow had a checkered past. Elizabeth had quite a past of her own so she wouldn't judge the former assassin without getting to know her first. It was a little shocking what her life had become in the last twelve hours since everything went down in Kelly's, and now Elizabeth was in the company of the world's greatest heroes. Her boys, if they had been here, would have been in awe of it all.

"Are you sure about this?" The Black Widow asked, giving Thor a stern look. "Whatever consequences come from the fallout from this plan will be squarely on your head. If Loki plays you…"

"He won't," Thor said, earnestly. "I know you quarrel with him, Natasha. You, Clint, the rest of the team have every right to hate Loki, but I truly believe he was influenced by Thanos. I will not say he would not have done something horrid, but it would have never been conquering the planet. It would have never been toying with peoples' minds. If you knew what he had been through then…" The Thunder God just gave a quiet shake of his head after his voice trailed off. It was not his place to be spilling Loki's painful history, and to one that was wholly unsympathetic towards it.

Natasha Romanov merely raised an eyebrow, before her green eyes settled upon Elizabeth. "So you're the one that Thor is so confident will be able to _save_ Loki," the red head stated, with a scathing empathize on the word "save".

"I guess I am," Elizabeth replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Hmm." Natasha ran her eyes over the tiny brunette before she reached up, touching her finger to her ear. She barked out an order in Russian, and there was movement outside. "We have to secure the perimeter and the house before we bring him."

Elizabeth nodded, swallowing. It raked against her skin to let strangers go through her home and her things. It was violating in a way, but she managed to hold her ire in check. She felt like she needed to help Loki, if not to repair and understand completely why he left her life—even if it was not his choosing to do so—or to put closure on a chapter in her life that had been left open for far too long. It felt like hours that they stomped around, inspecting every nook and cranny of her from the basement to the second floor.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_ Elizabeth thought to herself. She turned when the back door through the kitchen opened up, and Black Widow led the agents in who carried Loki on a stretcher; he was out cold. His hair was much longer than she remembered, hanging down to his shoulder. His face was still tight with pain despite the shot that knocked him out—courtesy of the Black Widow, she wouldn't bring him into the house unless he was sedated—and his sharp features made even more severe with the gauntness of his cheeks. He had lost good amount of weight, Elizabeth realized biting the inside of her so hard that she tasted blood. There were also dark circles underneath his eyes belying his need for good sleep that was evading him. Her heart kicked painfully in her chest, and she felt her hand tremble at her side. She wanted to reach out to him, but checked them impulse. "You can put him in my bedroom," Elizabeth told the agents, wrapping her arms loosely around her stomach. "It's the only one with a bed big enough for him to sleep comfortably."

The agents looked to Black Widow. The red head woman stared at Elizabeth, long and hard, before she gave the agents a sharp nod. Watching the men carefully maneuver up the stairs, Natasha folded her arms over her breasts. "I hope you know what you are doing," she stated, in a clipped tone.

Elizabeth shot her a quick glance. "I hope so, too."

The red headed assassin looked like there was more she wanted to say, but the sound of Elizabeth's cell phone cut the conversation short. Not that Elizabeth was complaining. There was something wholly familiar about Natasha that seemed to rake across her memory like nails on a chalk board, but she couldn't figure out what exactly about the woman irked her. Turning away, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. "Hello," she replied, her voice filled with fatigue.

" _Don't you dare hang up again, and don't even try faking an accent. It was atrocious,"_ the man on the other end of the phone accused.

"This really isn't a good time, Stephen," Elizabeth winced, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder. She took a few steps away from Natasha and rounded the corner into the kitchen, mindful that even though she was out of sight, she could still be heard.

Stephen Strange let out a loud snort. _"Is there such a thing as good timing? I'd wager that it is nothing more than a pipe dream,"_ he stated, voice full of derision. A sigh came over the speaker a split second later, and he continued, _"Though debating on finding time and making time is not what I called to speak about. Your visions…are you still having them?"_

Elizabeth bit her lower lip. Weird things had started happening to her, shortly before Jason's return to Port Charles. Elizabeth started to have these 'daydreams', like a film being played for her—so quick and sometimes hard to tell what was happening. But what was weird is that all these visions started to come true. Like one time in the ER, she was helping work on a person brought in for emergency surgery. She was told to grab a certain type of medicine. The scene—identically to the daydream she had while cooking and burning the kid's breakfast—ended with the patient have an allergic reaction so badly that the patient died.

Elizabeth didn't know what possessed her to grab a different medicine, especially when it got Monica all hot and calling for her immediate dismissal. Of course this didn't happen. Dr. Monroe had gotten the patient file and helped show the board that she had prevent the hospital from costing the patient her life. And billions of dollars because the girl was the daughter of a senator or something. In the end, Monica had to choke back her pride, and Elizabeth was patted on the back for a good job. If it had been only that moment alone, Elizabeth wouldn't have thought much of it. But it wasn't just that one incident.

It was just the beginning. Another vision, she had seen Molly, Alexis's daughter, get attacked by a boy at school. A boy that would have hurt like Tom Baker had her all those years ago. Elizabeth had Dante and Lulu meet her at the park with pretense of setting up a fun night that the boys could have a slumber party with Rocko so that they could intervene. Thankfully, it all worked out. Dante grabbed the guy when they came around the corner to see him shove Molly down to the ground, and Molly was safe from the fate that would have been bestowed on her.

When the visions had become more frequent, Elizabeth confided in her friend, Christine Palmer. Christine and Elizabeth had went to medical school together, and became fast friends. Though with busy lives, the two hadn't got to meet up a lot since they didn't live in the same town and also were highly sought after surgical nurses. Christine still lobbied for Elizabeth to pack up and move to upstate New York and join their hospital that would be more than welcomed to have her. Even Stephen complimented her skills, but then added that he didn't know why she wasted her life at a dump like General Hospital. Stephen was the back hand comments king, after all.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, with a light frown. "But they've gotten really strange. Filled with monsters and the stuff of nightmares. Which I would pass off as bad dreams, or I have tried to, but—" She cut herself off, remembering her 'guests'. "But I can't talk about them right now. I have a lot of company right now for a dinner party, and I'm not free to speak on the phone. It's rude you know to leave my guests without their hostess."

There was a beat.

" _Ah. I see. Shall we set up a meeting…on a less hectic day?"_ Stephen offered, the tone of voice sounded nonchalant. Yet there was a hint of steel beneath his words that belied his worry. He was her friend, too, no matter how much of a hard time he liked to give her.

"I'll text you later with a time and place," Elizabeth said, grateful that he had gotten her hints. She couldn't exactly start talking about monsters or magic that seemed to fill her visions now. After the life she lives, believing that these nightmares were more than just figments of her mind didn't seem crazy in the slightest.

" _See that you do. I'd hate to have come and track you down,"_ Stephen said, with a quick chuckle. His way of letting her know that if something happened to her that he'd show up and protect her and her family. _"Have fun hosting your dinner party."_

"It'll be the funniest," Elizabeth said, sarcastically. "Bye, Stephen."

" _Goodbye, Elizabeth."_

Elizabeth snapped the phone shut, and turned around to see Natasha standing there. Raising a cool brow, she asked, "Something the matter?"

Natasha cocked her head to the side like a cat deciding whether or not to be amused by a toy. "You obviously think that something is," the assassin commented, her body stating unnaturally still. Like a statue carved out of marble, and the only way to tell that she was not was the way her chest rose with each breath of air. "I thought it might have been nerves from housing, Loki, but there something more than that here."

"And that something more is none of your business," Elizabeth told her, flatly. She didn't bother denying the accusation. The woman was a trained assassin, and probably could tell whether someone was lying from a mile away. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go check on Loki."

* * *

Jason was sitting at the bat in the MetroCourt with a glass of bourbon in his hand. Tequila just reminded him too much of Sam and Elizabeth, for obvious reasons. And beer just wasn't strong enough to give him the buzz he so sorely needed right at this moment. He didn't understand why Sam had the need to be so antagonistic towards Elizabeth. He knew because of the rocky past—mostly because of him, he acknowledged—that they would never been friends, but he had thought that the past was buried. Sam, however, seemed to want to dig it up and rewrite it. He had no illusions that Sam did bad things to Elizabeth, and sometimes, it was mind boggling to think that he had forgiven her—but he had. He married Sam, and had a baby, but Sam felt insecure in their life.

Sam still felt that she was the victim in all that went down. Sam still felt that Elizabeth still had a hold on him—and there would always be a connection—and that sense of paranoia heightened when Jake was brought back. He just didn't understand it. He had turned himself inside out, became a man that frankly he particularly proud of, just to be with Sam. Why wasn't it enough? Maybe because they both knew that Jason had settled for Sam. That no matter how many people told Sam that Jason had chosen her, they both know that he chosen Elizabeth first. He had put Elizabeth and her boys first to keep them out of danger and harm's way, where he didn't do the same Sam because he thought she was already too tainted by that life to save. Maybe Sam was so desperate to be first for Jason that she needed to paint Elizabeth as a villain, and needed Jason to actually to choose her. Maybe Sam needed to be the only one that was on a pedestal in Jason's life.

He hated to tell Sam that she had never been on a pedestal in his life. Not even before Elizabeth and he had grown close again. And he certainly couldn't do it afterward, not after what she had done to his sons. Yes, in his heart Cameron had been his, too, before he screwed that all up. He had been so lonely and Sam had been there after he walked away from Elizabeth that he allowed himself to sink into the familiarity of her. Made himself play the game of make believe and be the man that everyone thought he should be. Trying to do what he wanted never seemed to work, but now…after coming back from the dead, he really couldn't find it in him to feel those shoes. At first, he tried to be the loyal husband and defend Sam, even to Elizabeth which made him feel awkward and ashamed like hell. He tried to play the part, but he just couldn't figure out how to fit the mold.

And tonight just threw it over the edge. Sam went off about how Elizabeth was unfit mother, and no good, and so much beyond the pale of things that Jason put his foot down. Sam hadn't liked it that all that well, and tired of the yelling, Jason had just left. He had got tired of always trying to build Sam up when she was so determined to tear everything down just so she could be some hero in her head. That she was the Bonnie to his Clyde, and they were perfect, and really did love each other, and that everyone else couldn't understand. He cared about Sam, but he couldn't live like that. Sam couldn't accept anyone's love if she couldn't love herself, and he was starting to realize that he couldn't be the man to help her see that.

But he was afraid of what Sam would do if she learned his thoughts. Afraid for Danny, and for Jake, Elizabeth and Cameron. When Sam felt like she was losing her world—a world she built so tightly around him—then she could do the unthinkable. She had before, and the threat that Jason made to her all those years ago rang clear in his head. But could he actually go through with it? He didn't want Danny to lose his mother, but he was starting to see the options he had slowly closing to him. He truly hoped that at the end of the day that it wouldn't come to harming Sam.

He kept drinking until nearly the entire bottle was gone, and that when someone came up beside him. He craned his head to look up at the woman who was taller than him while he was sitting down, and he saw big hazel eyes looking down at him with shock written plainly upon her face. She was a beautiful woman dressed in some kind of strange armor, and he felt his heart race a little faster in his chest. "It truly is you. You face is different, but your soul is unmistakable," the woman said, with a tone of awe in her voice. "When you disappeared from Asgard and a touch of dark sorcery was left, we feared the worst had befallen you, my love."

"M-my love?" He managed to blurt out before the world around him went black.

* * *

Loki's memory was hazy and fuzzy as he started to come to. There was a lingering pain his throat from a needle, he vaguely recalled. It was sore from the rough and unforgiving jab the red headed assassin had given him, and then he remembered the restless blackness. It was almost preferable to his nightmares, to be perfectly honest. A frown pulled upon his lips when he shifted only to find a comfortable bed beneath him. That was rather odd. He expected a cold concrete floor to be his accommodations while on earth. No matter what clout his brother had with these people, he did not expect it to go so far to offer him—the man who would have conquered and ruled them—such comforts. In their eyes, he did not deserve such and perhaps, they were right.

Loki pulled his eyes open despite their heaviness, and stared up at the white ceiling. His brows furrowed, and he looked about the room. It was not a cell at all, but in fact, a rather normal looking bedroom for earthlings. He pushed himself into a sitting position when a voice—a painfully familiar voice that ripped into his heart—told him, "You need to rest. That sedative they gave you was meant for someone the size of an elephant, and it will likely make you sick."

Loki's green eyes flickered towards Elizabeth who stood at the end of the bed. His heart thundered in his chest, and his mouth went dry. "Oh, what fresh hell is this?" He whispered out, ignoring the flinch that the specter made upon the delivery of his words. "A new nightmare? I thought I had hidden you so far back into my mind that the madness wouldn't dare use you against me, but here you stand, a specter ready to torment me than I already have been."

"S-specter?" Elizabeth sputtered. "Loki, I'm not—"

"No," Loki said, harshly. "You will not use her voice. You will not use her face against me."

"I'm not trying to use anything against you," she stated, making her way around the bed despite the snarl he sent her. She reached out towards to touch him, and he grabbed her wrist.

The whole room seemed to freeze, and Loki felt the air rush out of his lungs. He had snatched her wrist, expecting his hand to pass through like it had so many specters before this one—people that could touch and hurt him, but he had no defense against—but instead his hand closed around real flesh. Real, warm flesh. He stared at the hand clutched in his too tight grasp like it was nothing he had ever seen before, and slowly his eyes traced up the arm it was attached to back to the face of the woman that had been stolen from him. He stared at her with a stricken and heartbreaking expression, and his eyes went glassy. "You're _real_ ," he said, the words raw with emotion that was dragged up out of him and his chest swelled with so much feelings that he could barely even process what was happening in this very moment. "You're real."

Elizabeth's face softened. "Of course, I am real," she whispered, her confused gazed searched his. "Why would you think otherwise?"

Loki's chest shuddered, and he stared up at her like she was the most wondrous thing that he had ever seen. He moved quickly like a bolt of lightning and pulled her tightly to his chest in an embrace. His arms wrapped around her petite frame that seemed to fit against his like a puzzle piece, and he buried his face into her hair, inhaling the scent of her—vanilla with a hint of spice and strawberries. A scent he had sorely missed, and when she melted against him, arms wrapping around him in kind, he felt the ice around his heart begin to thaw. "You're real," he choked out, allowing for a few tears to fall down his face. "You're _alive_ and _real_."

* * *

END OF CHAPTER!

So much happened in this chapter! I hope that you all enjoyed it very much!

Why is Loki is stunned by Elizabeth? Who is Jason's mystery woman? What will Sam's plan to do to Port Charles? And what are these visions that Elizabeth is having and what do they mean?

RRs are appreciated!


	6. Loki - Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS, Harry Potter. The fandoms and characters belong to their respective owners. This is for amusement purposes only, and to better my writing skills. :D

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Liz/Loki, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Patrick mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy, but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala, maddiemom, aphass, bjq, SoapOperaEmpress, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134 for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo, bookfreak25, maddiemom, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134 for the favs!

I want to thank the "Girl Friday" for adding my story to their community. :D

I want to thank the reviews, SoapOperaEmpress, trini12180, Spiritkit, notenoughlove, kcke2pen, arcoiris0502, leasmom, bjq, Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3, Guest 4, Guest 5, Guest 6, Guest 7, Guest 8, Guest 9, Mona, Guest 10, CandyHearts22, Guest 11! :D

Guest reviews:

Leasmom: Oh, most definitely. With all that he has been through, Loki has many nightmares and seeing Elizabeth but unable to hold onto her, it was like given everything he wanted but only for it to slip away. The fact that she is real is one that hits him very hard. I agree. I always felt that Sam could never really trust the love of others because she has a hard time loving herself, and who she is. You'll have to read and find out! :D (Your Second Review, on April 3): I am glad that you like it. I will try to make it not so confusing. :D

Guest 1: I am back again! I am glad that you loved them. Yeah, Jason has a feeling that Sam isn't quite right and that she may slip up and have another "moment of weakness". I can't say I disagree about Sam being a pain. I have moments where I like her character, but mostly I'm apathetic to her. The Loki/Thor/Darcy convo does have a lot of stuff crammed in there about the plot, if you look close enough you may see what is going to happen. ;)

Guret 2 (who reviewed Ch 1): I am glad that I won you over with the introduction. I have to admit that I am pretty saddened by the way the show has been going for a long time now, and completely understand your feelings. Hope you enjoy! ;)

Guest 3 (who reviewed Ch 1): Why thank you! Even though I dislike Sam more often than not, I do find her mentality a bit fascinating from a psychological point of view. It's fun at times to dissect a villain's motivations, and kind of expose them whether it makes them more sympathetic or less fearsome. Yes, that's what I intend by not Character friendly. I like to give a little disclaimer just in case a Sam, Carly, or whoever fan decides to click on it. Can't say they weren't warned, lol.

Guest 4 (who reviewed Ch 2): In the beginning, I think there was meant to be a difference between how Carly treated Jason versus the Quartermaines, but over the years, they have turned her into another person that takes and takes from Jason, while forcing him to believe that there is only one true way for him to live his life, with Sam because that makes it more convenient for Carly. So in the end, nope not a lick of difference anymore which is sad because around 2001-02 era, I did enjoy the Carly and Jason friendship. It seemed to evolve beyond Carly getting Jason to do her every whim and that she could actually put him first for once, but then Tamara Braun left and well that dissolved quickly. Oh, yes, we Liason fans got put through a lot of shit, and I totally agree with your assessment. The writers really did make it the least romantic storyline how they reunited Jasam, it was cringey. I don't know why Jasam fans like it, but to each their own. I think Jason having brain damage could have salvaged a lot of the OOC things they made him do. This version of Sam, I'm not sure there is any excuse for her.

Guest 5 (who reviewed Ch 2): I am glad you like the Sam confrontation. They are so fun to write! Liason is love, now if only the writers on GH would get a clue. Or Frank would get fired so the writers had freedom and didn't have to edit everything to make him happy instead of viewers.

Guest 6 (who reviewed Ch 3) Oh, yes, Monica needs to prove she is worthy of being a Quartermaine, grandmother and so much more. Given how she actively championed Sam, and took her level of hatred out on Elizabeth for no good reason (sorry Jason was her son if he wanted her to know about Jake, he could have stepped up). Tracy would never suck up to Sam, given the history between the two. It was Tracy who discovered Sam's sordid past so she wouldn't accept Sam as family. Edward would be rolling in his grave with disappointment at his family.

Guest 7 (who reviewed Ch 4): Loki is awesome, isn't he? I'm glad that I've made you an Elizabeth/Loki shipper. :D

Guest 8 (who reviewed Ch 5): Thor would be the best brother-in-law! He would spoil his nieces and nephews given the chances. Agreed about Patrick! That was my exact reaction to when Benedict Cumberbatch was announced as Dr. Strange, lol. Sam is definitely going to get hers. You'll have to see what is going on with Jason, M or Q. All things are not what they seem. Loki is put through a lot, isn't he? He deserves so much more than he has gotten.

Guest 9 (who reviewed Ch. 5) I'm glad you like the Loki chapters! They've been some of my favorite to write up. :D

Mona: I am glad that you are enjoying it! :D

Guest 10: Yay! :D

Guest 11: I have updated! I promise to work faster in the future! :D

* * *

Chapter Three

"The Melting of Cold Hearts"

" _Whatever he had found, it made him a better person. Maybe that's what love was, finding the person who brings out the best in your and eliminates the worst."_

— _Diana Holquist_

* * *

Loki Laufeyson did not believe he deserved such a miracle like the woman before him now. Her flesh was warm, soft and pliant underneath his palm. He could feel the life radiate off of her in waves, a sensation that he had never thought he would feel ever again. His green eyes looked up worshipfully, taking in her features with a bone-deep desperation. He could not be ashamed of the tears that rolled down his cheeks even if he had tried; the sheer relief and joy that flooded through him at knowing that she was _whole_ and _alive._ When he brought news of his soul mate to Odin, the All-father had been enraged that Loki would ask to bring a human to Asgard to live amongst them. He had cruelly refused Loki's request, seeing no merit to bring a mortal—someone considered beneath Asgardians—to their realm, and it was shortly after that Odin stripped his memories of Elizabeth from his mind.

It wasn't until Casket of Ancient Winters revealed his true heritage, and gave his magic and power enough potency to shatter the binds around his mind. He confronted his father, the words that they exchanged vicious and bitter, and Odin had told him that Elizabeth was _dead_. That the world of Midgard should not concern himself anymore and something in his mind snapped. It was the last in a long line of tragedies that haunted Loki, and it was the one that finally broke his sanity.

By the end of it, Loki had fallen into the Bi-frost in the most potent and cosmic energy hoping to be swallowed up and given rest.

Instead, Thanos the Mad Titan found him instead.

Thanos had played upon that pain for his soul mate's loss, until his mind hated Earth for existing. How could he look at that world and stand it to exist when the most important thing to him no longer existed? His grief had been sharpened, turned to a weapon as he was driven to madness through torture both physical and mental. He had wanted an army, power, no matter what the cost to turn on Asgard and destroy Odin in the way he felt his adopted father had destroyed him. Shame rolled over him, Loki clutched the woman tighter in his arms and let out a ragged breath.

If his plans for domination had succeeded, anything could have happened to her. His mad grab for power and prestige could have put her on the path of death, and he would have never realized it. Her fingers ran through his hair soothingly, and he did not deserve her kindness or compassion. He did not deserve to sink into her arms, but he could not bring himself to break away from the thing he had always longed for. Silent tears rolling down his cheeks, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. "I believed you dead," he breathed out, a soft tone of awe and reverence in his voice. "By the Norns, I thought you were lost."

So many things he had wanted to say to her. She had been so young when he had first met her, and had wanted to be a friend to her first. He would never put the burden of the knowledge of their connected soul on her until she was mature enough to understand all that it entailed, but that chance was stolen away from him. He never imagined that he would get another chance.

Elizabeth stared down at him, her blue filled with a wealth of emotion. One arm wrapped around his shoulders and the other placed on his chest after she wiped away his tears, she made no attempt to break free from his embrace knowing how fragile he was in this moment. "Your brother…explained things, but he didn't tell me you thought I was dead," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Loki thought her voice was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "It does not surprise me. The All-father would have thought it worthy to mention. He'd rather I be proclaimed a villain than admit his wrongdoing led me down a dark path," he stated, the pad of his thumb stroked the pulse that fluttered in her wrist. He loosed his grip, worried that his overzealousness may have frightened her, but she did not pull away. Instead, she settled on the mattress beside him and he felt the knot in his stomach unease. "Of all the places my brother could have taken me, I never imagined that it would lead me here. You have grown into the beautiful woman I always knew you could be."

A startled blush appeared on her cheeks, and her blue gaze darted away. It took her a few moments to find her words, and she turned back towards him. "It's been nineteen years since I last say you, you know?" She told him, her voice wavering for a split second. "I know that time like that seems like a blink of an eye to someone as long lived as you, but—" She shook her head side to side, as if she did not wish to pursue that train of thought. "I missed you. You were my first true friend, and I missed it when you disappeared out of my life. I know that it wasn't your fault, but I barely imagined that you would ever find your way back into my life."

"Do you wish I hadn't?" He asked, his expression neutral. He shut himself down, chained up his emotions in an attempt to withstand the possible rejection.

Her eyes flew wide, her lips parted in shock at his question. "No! Of course I don't wish that," she reassured him, a flicker of hurt flashed across her expression before she managed to restrain it. "I just…I just don't know where to go from here. I don't know what to do or how to help you, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

"I don't want your obligation," Loki stated, frowning.

"Look, I have done many things out of obligation throughout my life, but helping you is not one of them," Elizabeth stated, her tone sharp in reprimand. "I want to help you because I care."

"Even after all this time?"

"Yes," she answered, without hesitation, "even after all this time."

Loki stared at her, not knowing how to accept her compassion and kindness. He bowed his head, slightly ashamed of being so caustic to her and his expression softened ever so slightly. "I apologize. My words have hurt you and that was not my intention," he whispered out.

Elizabeth looked at him with sad understanding. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I know that this is unexpected and must be hard on you. If I was in your shoes, I would have likely acted the same way. Lashing out to push people away because you think it's safer than letting them in," she smiled, her hand sliding down the length of his arm and taking his hand into hers. "I may not have been in your exact shoes, but I know enough to understand it. I have done things to drive people away many times so I'm not about to judge you for it."

"Ever the kind soul," he said, lips twitching upward.

Elizabeth laughed, the sound like silver bells. "I don't know about that."

"I do," Loki told her, very earnest in his appraisal. "You have a light and warmth about you that draws people to you like gravity. Some people want to bask in it, others want to steal and others want to extinguish it. I am glad to see that the fire inside of you still burns brightly, and that the hardships of the world haven't taken that away from you."

"Not for lack of trying," she said, with a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "The agents of SHEILD are making sure the house and everything is secure. Setting up cameras and bugs and who knows what else. They'll probably be in here soon to check on you."

Loki had a look of thinly veiled disdain cross his features. He didn't like the SHEILD agents and the feeling was entirely mutual. He knew they saw him as a monster, and rightfully so, but he didn't trust them one tiny iota with Elizabeth. Director Fury may be a man of morals, but he was not the head of the hierarchy of the shadow organization. Who knew what people held his leash, and with everyone likely wanting to hurt him in retaliation for his misdeeds, Elizabeth could be caught in the crosshairs. "Their presence doesn't upset you?" He asked, his eyebrow arched upward.

"It's unnerving, but a necessary evil given the circumstances," she said, diplomatically.

Loki hid his grimace. He couldn't imagine that she would be all too pleased about his world domination attempt, even if he was being controlled by the Mad Titan at the time. His lips pursed together, and he glanced around the small but homey bedroom when his eyes landed on small portraits along the nightstand closest to him. Mortals called them photographs from what he recalled, and his green eyes widen a fraction at the picture with Elizabeth holding a baby, and a young boy with moppy brown curls sat beside her with the same mischievous grin that was pure Elizabeth.

"You have children?" Loki asked, his green gaze flickered towards her.

Elizabeth hesitated, for a moment. "Yes, I do have two sons from previous relationships," she answered, her thumb ran across the back of his knuckles. Her eyes filled with shadows of memories, and she swallowed thickly. "My oldest one is Cameron and my youngest son is Jake. They are a handful."

"If they are anything like their mother, they'd have to be," Loki replied, the edges of his mouth curved up. There was a twinge of sadness in his gaze, but no trace of anger or resentment. She had thought he had left her behind on this world without so much as a good-bye, and nineteen years was a long time by mortal standards. Time did not simply halt because he had not been there, but that didn't stop his heart ached a bit in his chest for multiple reasons. "They are beautiful, Elizabeth."

A proud beaming smile stretched across her face. "Thank you."

"Tell me about them?" Loki requested, hoping to keep the conversation going. He was not ready for her to part from his side, and he would talk about everything in the universe to spend just another second with her. He had so much time to make up for.

"Okay." Elizabeth shifted, curling her legs underneath her and leaning back against the pillow. Even after all this time, even after all the things he had done, she was still so completely at ease with him. There was no pretense, no falsehood in the way she relaxed and allowed him to see the real Elizabeth without hesitation. "Cameron is a bit of rebel. He likes to play pranks and get into whole bunch of mischief, especially with Spencer Cassidine. He loves sports and is really into archaeology, determined to be the next Josh Gates."

"Josh Gates?"

"An famous explorer who tries to uncover the truth about lost treasure or myths and legends. He has a couple of shows on the Travel Channel that Cameron will not miss for anything," Elizabeth chuckled, lightly.

Loki understood about television and shows, because while the other Asgardians hadn't travelled to earth in centuries until recent years, Loki had come every other decade. He was pleased and horrified to learn how much cinema had changed over the years. The colors and special effects were surprisingly good given how technology unsophisticated Midgard was compare to other worlds, but where there had been actors like Fred Astaire and Judy Garland that could make a movie a hint with little to no special effects, now were actors and actresses that had the emotional range of a bilgesnipe. Not that he had gotten to indulge in too much of the earthly arts, but he did not hold out hope for the quality of Hollywood after what he had been forced to watch on his way here.

"And Jake is so soft spoken. Quiet and observant, he has a heart of gold. He loves to draw and to paint and ride his bicycle," Elizabeth said, a twinge of sadness in her voice. "He's my little miracle."

"What do you mean?" Loki cocked his head to the side.

Elizabeth hesitated, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. "A few years ago, I thought Jake had died. A horrible evil woman named Helena Cassidine faked Jake's death and made me go through the worst night of my life. I watched what I believed to be my son to have died, and had to make the decision to donate his organs to save another child's life," she stated, her voice quaked with a number of untold emotions. "Four years, I mourned my child. Four years, I had to live with this constant ache in my heart and then one day, Luke brought him home. He had went to confront Helena over her lastly evil scheme and found Jake. Sometimes….sometimes, it doesn't even feel like it's real. I have to keep checking on him and looking at him to make sure he isn't going to disappear."

Loki felt rage burn in his heart at this woman Helena Cassidine, and made a small vow to make the woman pay for what she had done to his Elizabeth. Swallowing back his anger, he focused on the woman in front of him and slid his fingers through hers. "I am so sorry," he whispered out, feeling the tremble of her hand. It was obvious there was still a lot of pain she had yet to process of her son's miraculous return. "I know that pain all too well. It is the worst kind of hells to watch your child being lost to you and even more so when you are helpless to do anything to stop it."

Her blue pools searched his face, seeing more keenly into his words than others would have. "You say that as if you have experience in losing a child," she said, her tone careful and cautious. She was mindful to not prod at his wounds, instead allowing him to reveal them to her at his convenience.

"It was not because I didn't trust you," Loki spoke, the Adam's apple of his throat rose and fell sharply. His eyes closed in mute despair, and his chest rattled with a shaky breath. "It is a subject that is…painful to speak of, and I have done my best to avoid thoughts or speaking of it. My children are not with me, they were taken from by Odin and I never got to raise them as I wanted to."

Elizabeth gnawed on her lower lip. "I know that it is painful, and if you don't want to speak of it, I completely understand. Just know that I am always willing to lend an ear if you need one. No judgment, no strings attached. Just me, willing to hear whatever you need to say."

"Perhaps…" Loki dipped his head, considering her proposal. If there was anyone who would truly listen to his pain and understand the depths of it, it would be Elizabeth. He had held it in for so long, it was a weight on his heart that had been his constant company for several centuries now and perhaps it was time that he released that weight. Released the pain he held tight to his heart because it was all that he had left of his children, just the pain of their absence. "It was a long time by human standards. About nine centuries ago, I met a jötunn female named Angrboda, and she was the mother of three of my four children. I was relatively young by Asgard standards, driven by desires of the flesh instead of feelings and relationships that were more than just skin deep, and for a time I believed that Angrboda desired the same simple thing," Loki explained, his voice tight and tense with the bitterness he set felt all too acutely even after all this time. "However, her eyes were raised higher than clandestine meetings every half a century. She sought to marry me, gaining power and elevating her into the courts of Asgard. She sought to use the children that she bore over that time in secrecy as means to manipulate me, and for a time I allowed her to believe her plans would work. I bonded with my children—Jörmungandr beginning the oldest, Hela the second oldest and Fenrir my youngest—and grew to love them, cherishing them.

"I had tried to come to some agreement with Angrboda. I did not wish to wed her and be bound to a woman who was not my soul-mate, but she was the mother of my children, and I had an obligation to her. I offered her my friendship, a place at Asgard where she would be taken care of and would wish for nothing," Loki explained, raking a tired hand down his face. It still weighed at him so heavily. If he had only been smarter, and led Angrboda to believe she would get everything that she wanted, he could have protected his children from her.

"I can't imagine she liked that," Elizabeth commented, her tone light.

"Indeed not. I was young and optimistic, believing my silver-tongue could soothe the heart of a woman who no doubt felt scorned. I understand that I may have hurt Angrboda, but what she did in retaliation was something I could never forgive her for. It is something that I _killed_ her for," Loki admitted, his green eyes pleaded her understanding. "Angrboda infuriated that I would not give her what she wished, she cursed our children. Fenrir was turned into a monstrous wolf, while Jörmungandr took on the form of a giant snake, and Hela my sweet little girl who had an affinity for magic and necromancy—she attempted to stop the curse with her magic but the spell backfired, turning my daughter into a half-dead goddess."

He watched Elizabeth recoil with shock and disbelief, utterly appalled by what Angrboda had done to her children. "How could she do that?" Elizabeth said, her voice pitched high. "No matter what Jason has done, I would never harm Jake to retaliate him."

 _Jason must be Jake's father_ , Loki summarized. He felt a bit of jealous over hearing the man's name fall from her lips, but restrained it to the best of his ability. It would not do well to end up murdering the man in a fit of jealousy, especially considering this was his chance to prove he had changed from the violent god that attempted to other throw the Earth. Also, he didn't think that Elizabeth would quite forgive him if he did. "As if this were not enough revenge to satisfy her, Angrboda sought out my other child, Spleinir whom I alone created with my blood, magic and the forces of nature and turned him into an eight-legged horse and presented him as a peace offering to my father," Loki spoke, his voice trembled. His green eyes were glowing with the intensity of his emotions, and he felt that Elizabeth's hand was the only thing holding him together. "She went to Odin, and told him of my monstrous children. She called our children monsters, tossed them away like they were nothing, and only days after she revealed this all to Asgard with no other purpose than to cause me pain. I spoke to my father, told him about the curse and for a moment, I thought he would believe me and then the Norns spoke of a prophecy."

"A prophecy?" Elizabeth eyes went wide.

"Ragnarök," Loki whispered the word, with a bitter smile. "The end of the world—an end that my children were foretold to bring, and Odin would hear my pleas no longer on my children's behalf. My daughter Hela was tossed into undead realm of Hel, where she now governs far from my reach. Fenrir is lost in the wilds that surround Asgard, hunted and treated as a mindless beast. Jörmungandr slumbers deep in the oceans' of Earth, supposedly waiting for the day to come where he would devour all life on it."

* * *

Dr. Stephen Strange never imagined himself in this position, with magic and a duty to protect the earth from supernatural forced and more. If anyone told him before his accident that had destroyed his medical career that this is where he would one day be looking into the depths and pathways of time itself, he would have laughed in their faces and given them a 72 hours say at the hospitals psych ward. How time could change so much in the blink of an eye. He had been looking through the tomes and scrolls to find any answers to Elizabeth's predicament. It was not a good sign for her to suddenly start having visions—accurate visions at that.

A flutter of power shivered through the air—icy cold with the presence of death—in the Sanctorum altering him to the arrival of the Master of Death; a slight unassuming young woman with snow white skin and messy curly black curls that fell around her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes were sharp and unnatural, and red stained lips were pulled into a cool smile. Dressed in a simple red hoodie and blue jean pants with sneakers, she coked her head curiously at him. She looked like nothing more than a college student, but only a fool would mistake her for mundane. Even the Ancient One deferred to the seemingly youthful woman, and always treated her with caution which is another reason why her presence put Stephen so ill at ease.

"You've been most upset," she stated, her voice raspy from disuse. "Christine has been worried."

He looked at the ageless, almost primordial being that stood before him and let out a soundless huff of amusement. He didn't know whether to count his blessings that Christine had somehow managed to gain the attention and friendship of a powerful being that would strike any who would harm her down, or being indignant at finding himself on the end of a lecture. "I've had a lot on my mind. Surely you know by now that Loki has returned to earth," the Sorcerer Supreme stated, unhappily. He had felt the vibration of magic and used a spell to reveal the culprit for this. He didn't understand how or why Loki had returned only that powerful magics dictated that the Sorcerer was not allowed to remove him as a threat. It left him with a knot of frustration in his throat. "And that is a concern for all of earth if he decided to try and take over again."

The Master of Death blinked at him bemused. "Oh. Yes, I remember. You humans do not like to be conquered. Something about freedom," she recalled, blandly.

Stephen supposed one did get used to regimes and worlds falling every day if said person lived over ten thousand years. "Yes, that," he stated, dryly barely repressing an eye roll. "To what do I owe this unpleasant surprise?"

Green eyes slanted at him, unamused. "Hela, the Goddess of Death asked me to seek out her father. Apparently, there is a prophecy that has been set into motion. One foretelling the doom of worlds," she replied, haughtily. "Many innocent lives will be claimed, and the universe will run red with blood."

"Oh, is that all?" Stephen asked, bitingly.

"There is an arbiter of Chaos," the Master of Death continued, undeterred by his sarcasm. "One who could undo the prophecy without needless bloodshed, but Fate conspires against her. The fickle and brittle bitch," the female added, her hatred for Fate well documented throughout the ages. "The mantle of Fate was supposed to be passed down eons ago, but the current Fate clings to her position, and has been doing everything to keep itself relevant like making obscure and needless prophecies such as Ragnarök."

"Ragnarök? Like the Norse end of the world story where Loki's children destroy and kill everything?"

"The very one," the ancient being nodded.

"Is Loki a part of this?" Stephen questioned. "Is that why he has returned?"

"No. The God of Mischief is one of the keys to undoing the prophecy, but we must act swiftly. There is a woman—a mortal woman known as the Seer, who has been foretold to seeing the way to defeat Ragnarök," the Master of Death divulged, a hint of worry on her face. For all her cold and distance, Stephen got a feeling that she was fond of the world and would miss it if the worst should happen. "Her name is Elizabeth Webber."

"Well," Stephen blinked, stunned. "Shit."

* * *

Elizabeth felt her heart stutter, the remnants of her old nightmare rose in the back of her mind. The terrifying dream where she had been hunted by the wolf, the snake and a dark female voice had taunted her. Stephen claimed her dreams were visions, and if those had been Loki's children, why were they hunting her? A whirlwind of emotions inside of her, but she did not tell Loki about the dream. She didn't understand any of this, but she knew that she needed to speak more to Stephen.

"What about Spleinir? You said Angrboda brought him to your father as a peace offering? What fate befell him?" Elizabeth asked, stroking a strand of his hair to behind his ear tenderly. Her heart ached for him and his children, despite how terrifying her dreams had painted them. She didn't know what she would do if anything ever happened to her boys.

"Odin uses him as a mount, believing him to be nothing more than a beast of burden."

The anger she had towards Odin ever since Thor had explained things only grew as Loki unveiled the fates of his children, and while she didn't condone the takeover of any world, she could now understand why Loki had become so unstable. He had his children taken away from him, his mind warped by not only a man that he believed to be his father, but also a Mad Titan determined to make Loki a great weapon. It was a wonder in and of itself that he had even a shred of sanity left inside of him. "How could he do that to his grandchild?" Elizabeth demanded, her voice filled with disbelief and anger. "How could your mother do that, or your brother just stand by and let that happen?"

"They aren't my family," Loki stated, with a light huff.

"Blood doesn't make a family. Love does," Elizabeth told him, a great sorrow in her blue eyes. "Your brother might be a bit rough around the edges, but he defends you to everyone. It obvious he loves and cares for you. I just don't understand why he never stepped in and put a stop to this."

"Thor, like everyone else, believed my children monsters. He wouldn't even speak their names after Odin made his decree," the God of Mischief hissed out. A flicker of regret shot across his face when he realized the tone he had taken with her and he turned his gaze away from her, balling his fists up in his lap. "Perhaps he thinks that by saving me will make up for the centuries of heartache and abuse I have endured, but he is sadly mistaken."

Elizabeth couldn't reconcile the concerned and wounded God of Thunder who had pleaded his brother's case at every turn with a person that would turn a blind eye to his nephews and niece's torment all because of some so called prophecy. There was something that wasn't quite right about this information, and she needed answers. Something in her gut told her that she needed to go down and speak to Thor about this. There was a nagging suspicious that prickled along the edge of her mind, and she ran her fingers along the back of her neck in an effort to ease the tension there. "I have to go make some plans for the boys. I think it would be best for them to not be here until all the security is set up. Jake…is has trouble with a lot of people around him and it makes him very anxious," she told him, her stomach clenched unpleasantly at the thought of leaving him by himself. She knew he would unlikely venture down to the living room, especially with his brother and the SHIELD agents about. "I don't want to leave you but—"

Loki gave her a small smile. "I understand. You have to go take care of your children. I would not begrudge you in make sure they are alright, and feel comfortable with everything. It will be quite a shock to have my brother and myself here, invading their home and they will need your reassurance."

"Thank you for understanding. I'll be back in a few," Elizabeth reassured him, knowing in his fragile state that he needed to hear these words. He had been through so much and lost so much that he needed to know that what he had right now wasn't fleeting and wouldn't vanish. "I promise."

He held her hand so tight for a split second before releasing her, and Elizabeth slipped out of the bedroom, feeling his eyes on her until the door was shut. Her mind struggled to wrap her head around what was happening, but she came to a startling realization. There had always felt like a piece of her that was missing. A void in her heart that hadn't allowed her to every truly be happy and feel whole, and now that Loki was back in her life that void didn't feel so empty. She couldn't explain, absentmindedly rubbing the mark of her wrist. It felt warm and tingly, and her heartbeat was a little fast. Shaking her head, she dropped her hand from her wrist and marched down the stairs. She saw no sign of Darcy or Patrick, but saw Thor sitting in one of her kitchen chairs. He had his head bent downward, and his shoulders were slumped forward as if he were so very exhausted.

She reached the base of the stairs, and his head lifted. When his gaze met hers—he seemed so honest and straight forward—Elizabeth felt all subtly drain out of her, and bluntly asked, "Why didn't you do anything to protect Loki's children?" Actually, she sought of demanded in a sharp and dark tone instead of asked.

The God of Thunder's jaw went slack with shock. His blue eyes widened until they looked fit to pop out of his skull, and for a second, he just sat there like he could not believe what he heard. He blinked harshly, and lumbered to his feet. "What do you mean by Loki's children?" He asked, frowning deeply.

"The children—your niece and nephews—that are afflicted by a curse all because Loki refused to marry Angrboda, and Odin wouldn't entertain the idea that they weren't what they appeared all because of a stupid prophecy. How could you not stand up for your brother? How could let his children—innocents be taken away from their father and cast out? Or how about Spleinir?" Elizabeth asked, her voice rising with each word. Her face was flushed with anger, and she trembled from head to toe.

"My father's mount?" Thor looked horribly confused by her tirade.

"Your nephew! Angrboda wasn't satisfied with cursing the children she bore Loki, she had to go after his other son as well. She turned him into an eight-legged horse and presented him as present to your father! Loki tried to tell you all what that bitch did and none of you stop Odin from hurting those children. They had to grow up all alone, treated as monsters, how did Odin think that would stop the prophecy? He basically ensured it would happen!"

"What?" Thor gaped, aghast. "Lady Elizabeth, I assure that I am not guilty of such callousness towards my brother. If I had known anything about the existence of Loki's children and they had been inscrolled by some sort sorcery, I would have moved heaven and earth to help my brother. Do you think me some sort of monster?"

A cold dread gripped Elizabeth's heart, her blue eyes flickered across the God of Thunder's earnest expression for any sign of deceit and when she found none. He was heartbroken by her accusation, as if she had gutted him in the most painful way imaginable. She felt her knees become a little weak and a cold sweat break out along the nap of her neck. _Surely, Odin wouldn't have done such to both of his sons,_ the thought crossed through her mind, but from the way Thor had described his father, Elizabeth had a bad feeling that the Allfather would do whatever it meant to keep his version of the greater good alive. "Thor, you need to speak to your brother. He has lived centuries believing you stood by and did nothing to stop Odin from casting out his children. He believes that you didn't trust or believe him when he told you that they were cursed, and not truly monsters," Elizabeth explained, her voice frantic. All the pieces started to fall in place, how the two brothers who were like day and night had their bond fractured that inevitably led to the mess that was happening now.

"I did not—"

"You don't know about them because I believe your memories of those events were taken away," Elizabeth added, calming the god down before he got upset. Thor seemed to stagger back, as if Elizabeth's words had physically assaulted him. She felt guilty for laying such upon him, it felt a bit like kicking a puppy. "I believe Odin altered your memories, erasing any trace of Loki's children. I don't know why he would do that unless…"

"Unless I stood against him to defend my brother and his children," Thor finished, tonelessly. After a moment, he gave a great groan, and dragged a hand down his face. He shook his head wearily side to side. "How many lies and tragedies have fueled my brother's hatred? I could not conceive why my brother would do such heinous crimes like attempting to rule of Midgard, but now I can see what drove him down such a dark and broken path. My eyes have been blinded, but I refuse to be led like a sheep any longer. I must go speak to my brother, and hope that I can atone for the wrongs I have committed against him."

"Okay. Just try to refrain from…" Elizabeth pondered how to phrase it. "Breaking my house. I don't have so much money that I can replace it, or my family's possessions. I'll be outside in the backyard making a very important phone call."

Elizabeth grabbed the phone from the place on the kitchen counter, only startling slight at the sight of the Black Widow and a man she believed was the Avenger known as Hawkeye standing there. They were having a whispered conversation, but Elizabeth didn't linger to hear about it. She stepped outside, and dialed in Laura's number. She ran her fingers through her hair, and wondered how her life became more crazy than a three ring circus.

* * *

Darcy was admitted spying on the spies.

She watched the SHIELD agents with distrustful blue eyes, and arms folded stubbornly over her chest. She didn't trust this group of jackboot thugs as far as she could throw them, recalling when they stole all of Jane's equipment. And furthermore when they brought it back—after Thor practically threatened them into doing so—all of Jane's science stuff had been completely erased. Years of work gone because some shady organization were total jackasses, and while Loki wasn't her favorite person given the state that he left Erik—the only real father figure Darcy had—she liked SHIELD even less.

"Careful," Patrick told her. "You might set someone on fire with that glare."

"Is that supposed to discourage me?" Darcy quirked up an eyebrow at the handsome doctor.

"Yeah," he said with a sheepish smile. "It probably only gave you more incentive, huh?"

"Totally. If I could set these low-budget Muller and Scully wannabes afire with my flare they would be ash by now," Darcy chuckled, underneath her breath. "I just really don't trust these guys to be all protective and good like they claim they are. I guess with everything that is going on I am ready for the other shoe to drop."

"I know that feeling," Patrick sighed, heavily. He checked his clock to make sure that he still had time before he had to go pick Emma off of the school bus, and his dark eyes turned onto Darcy. "My relationship with my ex-fiancée didn't end well by any stretch of the imagination, but even though she is with her "one true love" she still acts like she has a claim to me. So the more time I have been spending with Elizabeth—even though I see Elizabeth as a sister—I've been waiting for Sam to retaliate. The fact that Jason kind of defended Elizabeth today in Kelly's—"

"A half ass defense," Darcy snorted.

"True, but I think Sam is about on the end of her rope. She wants her cake and to eat it, too," Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose. He released a heavy sigh, rolling the tension from his shoulders. "I think she is about to do something. I can't explain it, but I have a bad feeling inside of my chest."

"Don't worry, handsome," Darcy smirked. "If Sam McFalls does anything, Thor will smite her off the face of the earth."

"McFalls?" Patrick raised a brow.

"Did you see her hooker heels? She is bound to break her neck one day running around in those." Darcy shifted on the porch swing, just to sit a little bit closer to Patrick. She knew he hadn't missed the motion at all, and she flirty batted her eyelashes at him. "So, tell me Dr. Drake, what do you do for fun around here?"

"Look, I'm not the kind of man you want to be flirting with."

"On the contrary, I think you are just my type."

"I tend to bite," Patrick warned, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Darcy decided he looks much better with all that smolder and mischief than morose and sad.

Darcy leaned forward, with the edges of her mouth curled upward. "So do I."

The Adam's apple of his throat slid upward and then down, sharply. A dash of pink fell upon his cheeks, and Darcy was wondering how long it had been since some flirted with him and genuinely appreciated this fine specimen of man. She concluded that Sam had a feel screws loose to toss him away so careless, but all the better for Darcy. She was still getting over a bad break up herself, so why not help Patrick get over his. It could be loads and loads of fun. Before their flirty banter could go any further, sparks started to shower out of nowhere. Darcy and Patrick jumped, and watched a circular portal open. A man dressed in what could only be described as a Dungeon and Dragon wet dream walked out of the portal with the self-assurance that would have made Tony Stark seem tame by comparison. His red cape billowed behind him dramatically—actually no, it was pulling someone else through the portal!

"Damn you, Strange!" The young female barked, angrily. "You know I hate socializing! Tell your cape to let me go or so help me—"

The cape abruptly released the woman as if burned, and appeared to sulk. A piece of clothing shouldn't be able to be cute and sulk, but that was clearly what was happening right here in front of Darcy's eyes.

"You know that she likes you," the one called Strange stated, a tiny smirk on his beguiling features. "It wouldn't behoove you to be kinder to her. After all, aren't you technically her mother?"

"I just created her. I didn't give _birth_ ," the woman huffed, crossly. Her green eyes did seem to soften when she looked at the red cloak, a split second of wistfulness before her features went blank. Her thoughts and emotions looked behind an impeccable and stoic mask. "This is the Seer's place then? Seems rather mundane."

"Not everyone can live in castles," Strange rolled his eyes.

"Who are you—oh, shit," Darcy cursed, her eyes darted to the SHIELD agents that rushed across the yard towards the apparent intruders. She looked towards the unassuming woman who lifted her head and the flare of power in those emerald eyes immediately gave Darcy goosebumps. With a wave of her hand, the mysterious woman released a cloud of miasma that flowed outward. Patrick shoved Darcy behind him, as if to shield her from the attack but nothing happened.

Well, nothing happened to Darcy and Patrick.

When the dark cloud dissipated, the SHIELD agents dropped like flies to the ground.

"Did…did you just kill them?" Strange gaped at the woman in horror.

The woman gave him a sharp look. "Of course not. I do have restraint, Strange. I am not a mindless killer, no matter what the history books paint me like," she sneered, turning her back on him. She marched towards the house without sparing Darcy or Patrick a single glance.

"Hold up! You can't just go into there!" Darcy shouted, grabbing her tazer from her purse. She shoved Patrick out of her way, raising the weapon and pressing the trigger.

Strange's eyes widened. "I wouldn't—"

The prongs shot out and slammed into the woman's back. The currents of electricity crackled through the wires, but instead of flopping to the ground in a fit, the woman went utterly still. Darcy felt fear rush up the length of her spine when the woman craned her head over her shoulder, and one green eye observed Darcy with a cold detachment. The entire world seemed to hold its breath, and finally the corner of the woman's mouth lifted into a smirk. "I think I like you," she declared, greatly amused. The prongs were removed by an invisible force, and dropped to the ground uselessly. "Now, come. We must speak to this Elizabeth Webber. The end of the world does not what for anyone."

"End of the world?" Patrick sputtered, shocked.

Darcy blinked, rapidly.

Strange just let out a groan. "Perhaps, we shouldn't have dragged her along."

His red cloak made a swish of agreement.

* * *

The door opened to the room, and Loki raised his head, hopefully. His hopes were dashed when he saw his brother standing there, and his shoulders hunched forward, everything about his posture to the look on his face was unwelcoming. He could see that Thor knew this, the slight wince and guilty look that crossed over his brother's features. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you'd be happy to pawn me off on SHIELD agents and be done with it," he stated, venom dripping from his tone.

"I have failed you, brother," Thor started, after a few moments of silence. "But I refuse to do so again."

"I'm not your brother. I am a jötunn, the monsters that you Asgards warn your children about through tales and songs," Loki taunted, his green eyes narrowed. He grasped his walls to mask his hurt and his pain, and keep his brother at arm's length. He folded his arms over his chest, and turned his gaze out through the window.

"Your origins do not matter to me. Jötunn or Asgardian, you will always be my brother," Thor swore, his voice trembled with sorrow and determination. "I have not always been the best of brother to you, and I have been a fool to let time and so much more turn us against one another, but it does not have to stay that way. We can fix this, I know we can. Just…just don't shut me out."

"Shut you out?" Loki whirled around, his eyes flashed dangerously. "You shut me out! I spent years living on the outside of your life, being nothing more than a shadow to you and idolizing you. I used to believe for all your brutish tomfoolery that there was nothing you could do wrong, and then you proved that you were not so golden prince to be worshipped. You are just like our father, selfish and vain!"

Thor flinched back at the accusations. "Brother, I did not know you felt that way. If I had known—"

"You would what? Done things differently?" Loki asked, scathingly.

"Yes," Thor whispered out, sincerely. He looked wounded and confused, his blue eyes seemed to be searching for something inside of Loki. "I would change it. I would have been a better man, a better brother, and so much more. But I can't change what has already been done. I only have the present to shape and the future to make better, so please. Let me try."

Loki felt his entire body tremble, and he took a step back. His head gave a minute shake, as if he could not believe the sincere of the God of Thunder.

Thor looked down at his feet, his brow furrowed thoughtfully before he raised his gaze to meet his brother's. "Brother, tell me about your children."

Loki froze from head to toe. He didn't even dare breathe.

"Lady Elizabeth…" Thor swallowed, thickly. "She said that you had children. Children who have been harmed by foul sorcery, and I…I do not remember you having these children. I do not remember ever hearing about them, or anything regarding them. I don't know anything about your children," Thor stated, earnestly. "If I had known that you had sired any children, I would have gone out of my way to protect them no matter they looked like. I may have been a foolish brute many a time, brother, but I would never stand idly when children were being harmed."

Loki's lips parted, his eyes widened a fraction. His chest shuddered, a gasp noise rattled up his throat and his back hit the dresser when he tried to retreat further away from Thor. "You are lying," he whispered out, his voice barely audible. The accusation made his chest feel hollow, and his hands curled into tight fists at his side. His magic swirled inside of him like a violent storm, and he repeated the accusation, louder and more vehemently, "You are lying!"

"Nay, brother," Thor shook his head, a tormented expression on his face. "I swear upon our mother's life that I am not lying to you."

"No…no…no…" The God of Mischief whispered, brokenly.

"Look into my mind, brother!" Thor begged. "See the truth that lays there."

Loki was breathing heavily, a dark rage etched onto his features and unbelievable sorrow burning bright in his eyes. He lunged forward, as swift as a jungle cat and the palm of his hand pressed against Thor's skull—the God of Thunder gave no resistance, and he shoved his magic brutally into Thor's mind. He scoured through many memories, desperate to find anything to vindicate the hatred he held towards his brother for many years. The more he searched through the memories, the pit of despair grew larger and larger inside of his stomach and he felt his heart stop in his chest when he saw the fractures edges along Thor's mind. The unmistakable trace of the All-father's magic, and when Loki pressed beyond the illusions set up, he saw so much.

 _Suddenly, he saw an image of Thor standing in front of Loki, shouting at his father to release Loki's children. The God of Thunder stood against the fury and rage that Odin had spewed at him, but his courage had not been enough to sway the All-father. He then saw images of Thor trying to set Slepnir free only to be caught by Odin, and he was dragged into the deepest parts of Asgard. He was bond by chains made from the same indestructible metal that Mjolnir had been created from, and there he was starved, beaten until he was mentally weak._

 _Loki had always believed Odin had sent Thor on a quest during this time. He had never looked deeper into it, but now he watched as the All-father along with the Goddess Sigyn—Loki's former betrothed—planted false memories into Thor's memories, all because he needed Thor to be able to strike down Loki's children to prevent Ragnar_ _ö_ _k._

 _Thor did not remember Loki's children, or betraying the All-father to help his brother and his children. If the children were ever mentioned, the magic binding around the God of Thunder's mind cause him to immediately forget them afterward._

Loki ripped away from his brother, a savage cry of despair falling from his lips. His knees crumbled out from beneath him, and his entire body shook violently as he wept uncontrollably. Thor knelt downward, and pulled his brother into a tight embrace. "I am so sorry, my brother," Thor whispered, his blue eyes glazed over with tears. The memories Loki had released had shaken them both deeply. "I am so sorry."

Loki felt words burn up his throat, apologies that would not be enough. He had spent so many years hating his brother, believing that he had been abandoned by the one person he had thought would always have his back, and to find that hatred had been founded on a lie—a lie that was meant to drive them apart, it left Loki feeling anxious and upset. He did not know where to go from here, and felt unworthy of his brother's unshakeable loyalty. Before he could gather his wits, he felt a dark magic shuddered through the air. He jerked backwards, and his spine stiffened with alarm. "Did you…" Loki glanced over at Thor for confirmation.

"Death magic," Thor rumbled, summoning Mjolnir to his side. His hammer crackled with lightning, and the two brothers rushed out of the bedroom. Loki fear burn whitehot through his veins, his thoughts were on Elizabeth and where she was. Once he reached the landing of the stairs, he saw Elizabeth entered the living room through the kitchen with the phone in her hand. She glanced up at him, a blink of surprise and then a smile stretched across her lips.

And then front door opened, with an unnatural gust of air. The lights in the house flickered, and the floorboards seemed to shudder announcing the arrival of a mundane looking female who was anything, but what she appeared. A strange man dressed as a high sorcery was right on the woman's heels, followed by his brother's intern and a man he did not recognize.

"Must you be so dramatic?" The sorcerer demanded, the red cloak on his shoulders fluttered nervously.

"Pot. Kettle," the female who oozed of Death snorted, unaffected by his outburst.

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, startled.

"And what are you doing here?" Loki hissed out, through clenched teeth. He was down the rest of the stairs in the blink of an eye, and stood in front of Elizabeth. His daggers materialism in the palms of his hands, and he glared down the mysterious woman.

"It seems things are going exceedingly better than I had thought," the woman stated, a pleased yet disconnected smile on her face. She seemed to function at a level higher than the rest of them, as if she were from a plane of existence beyond their understanding and she viewed everyone in the room with the same fascination that a child held for an ant underneath magnifying glass. "Perhaps, this won't be such a stressful task as I had anticipated it to be."

"My brother asked you a question," Thor growled. Outside thunder rumbled loudly, and the glare of lightning flashed brightly through the windows of the house. "I suggest if you care about your well-being that you will answer it now."

"There is no need for violence," the sorcerer stepped forward to be peace keeper.

"Stephen, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked, frowning deeply. "I thought I told you that I would call you back. And who is your…friend?" Her blue eyes flickered to the woman who was observing the house with idle interest, and showed utterly no fear of the God of Thunder that loomed just a few feet away from her.

"This is…" Stephen faltered, for a split second. "You know, you never did give me your name. I only know you by title," the sorcerer stated, looking down at the dark haired woman with a deep frown upon his face.

The woman tilted her head, looking very puzzled. "My title is the only name I recall. I do no recall my birth name, though I know I was named after a flower. It was family tradition on my mother's side. Any name you decide on will do just as well," she stated, with a shrug of her shoulder.

"You don't remember your _own_ name?" Darcy gaped, incredulously.

"When you live as long as I have and had to rebuild your identity up over and over again, the names all blur together and eventually become insignificant," the woman said, a tad bemused by Darcy's reaction.

"A name is important," Elizabeth said. "You can't just ask someone to choose one for you."

"That's your first response?" Darcy shot a look at Elizabeth. "Not the fact that she just indicated that she is old enough to forget her name and to have to recreate her identity over and over again. Like seriously, how old are you?"

Loki growled, deeply in his throat. "That doesn't matter. I want to know who she is and why she is here. I won't allow any harm come to the people that I care about, and she reeks of death and dark magic," he stated, suspicion and mistrust in his voice.

"I'm not the only one who reeks of it." The woman slid an amused glance his way. "Your mind has scars, and your magic is damaged. Dark and death magic from a Mad Titan if I'm any to judge. Calm yourself, God of Thunder," the woman said, sending Thor a look when lightning began to crackle all around him. "If you aren't careful, you will fry all the wiring in this house. I am not your enemy. In fact, I am be your biggest ally and one of capable of striking fear into your dear father's heart."

"What?" Thor blinked.

"I am the Master of Death," she announced, with a grim smile. "The Deathless Witch, Conjurer of Stars, Paragon of Justice and Vengeance and World Eater."

"World Eater?" The dark haired man asked, warily. His hand was wrapped around Darcy's arm, as if he feared she would do something reckless. "As in you can eat the world? Our world?"

The woman looked for the first time a little disquiet. "Do not fret. I have no appetite nor need to devour your world. In fact, despite what the name would imply I have never devoured any whole world. It was a nickname given to me by people who believed I had ruined their world," she explained, her tone very quiet and soft.

"And did you?" Thor asked, seriously.

"In a way, yes," the woman replied, honestly. She turned towards Elizabeth, disregarding the Asgardian. "If it will ease you, then you may call me Amaryllis. It is not the flower my birth mother named me after, but for the sake of tradition, it is as good a name as any."

"Alright, Amaryllis," Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest. "Why did Stephen bring you here?"

"To help you stop the end of the world, of course," the woman smiled. "Your visions that have been plaguing you, dreams filled with monstrous creatures? They are Loki's children that the Norns foretold would spell the end of Asgard and Midgard."

"What?" Loki whirled around to look at Elizabeth in shock. "Why did you not say anything earlier?"

Elizabeth sent him a guilty look. "I didn't want to worry you or anyone over this when I wasn't sure what was going on myself. I just been having these strange visions—visions that kept coming true—and recently they have been of me, running away from a giant snake and wolf with a woman taunting me in the background of a desolate world," she told him, wringing her hands together.

Loki felt his stomach knot up, unpleasantly. "When I told you of my children earlier, you must have known. You must have known that those creatures in your dreams were them," he whispered, a ripple of agony moving over him. He never wanted to believe his children would ever become monsters. If Odin's magic hadn't prevented him from finding them, could he have prevented this?

"I…" Elizabeth closed her eyes, turning her head away from him.

"Do not despair," Amaryllis told them both, her expression softening. "Visions are not etched into stone, and what was seen is not the only future the world has before it. We still have time to—" The living room window shattered with a loud crack that echoed through the house and Amaryllis's head snapped forwards, a spray of blood coating the back of the couch. Her body crumbled forward and collapsed to the ground before anyone could react. Everyone raised their gaze to look out the living room window, and the culprit stood there with gun in hand.

Elizabeth reeled back shocked. _"Jason?"_

* * *

END OF CHAPTERS!

I originally intended for this to be three chapters, but Loki's story has expanded out a little longer. It might be four or five chapters depending on how the story goes. :D

Next Chapter(s): Something is wrong with Jason, the Master of Death is not a happy camper, Elizabeth discovers her role in preventing Ragnorak, Sam's plans threaten Elizabeth's family, Loki gains unlikely allies in more than just Strange and the Master of Death, Loki and Elizabeth grow closer while Thor tries to repair all the damage done to his family by the All-father.

UPCOMING CHAPTERS:

Chapter Six-Loki-Chapter Four "Of Chaos and Rebelling Hearts"

Chapter Seven-Loki-Chapter Five "A Strange Young World"

RRs are appreciated. :D


	7. Loki - Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS, Harry Potter, Charmed. The fandoms and characters belong to their respective owners. This is for amusement purposes only, and to better my writing skills. :D

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Liz/Loki, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Patrick mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy, but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala, maddiemom, aphass, bjq, SoapOperaEmpress, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134, BeachGirl114, Gyngerbear, beachanita, Paula-may, Aproctor18, Patti Jeffries, cotytto, knightmare627, Kimora J, Copswife for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo, bookfreak25, maddiemom, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134, knightmare627, BeachGirl114, mgrand11, THEfictionfanatic, Patti Jeffries, nettiegurl, Phasesofthemoom, shorteve for the favs!

I want to thank the "Girl Friday" for adding my story to their community. :D

I want to thank the reviews, kcke2pen, leasmom, arcoiris0502, trini12180, fundays, Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3, bjq, CandyHearts22, Mona! :D

Guest reviews:

Leasmom: Glad that you love it even if it is a bit confusing! Lol

Guest 1: Thank you! I hope you enjoy the update!

Guest 2: I know, Jason has gone off the deep a bit, hasn't he? Loki's backstory explains why he went so dark, but it has led him to a place where he can begin to heal with Elizabeth and his brother at his side. Marvel just gave us a scrap of the interaction I think fans have wanted ever since the first Thor movie, and with how they wrote Loki as a tragic figure more than an outright villain. Patrick did deserve way much better than he got on the show, and hopefully Darcy gave give it to him. Elizabeth has gathered quite a few people at her side right now, doesn't she? I am glad that you love so much of this story, and Amaryllis is a good choice for a new fav, lol. I hope you enjoy the rest of it as much as this! :D

Guest 3: (First review) I am glad that you are enjoying the story even though it can be confusing at times. Hope you are feeling better and don't need to take anymore Nyquil, lol. What is wrong with Jason will come out in this chapter, and Sam will get hers in this story so have no fear. (Second review) I enjoy writing for Darcy and Patrick, to be honest. They certainly have written Sam that way, and felt true to how she is acting in this story. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy!

Mona: It was a bit of a cliffhanger, but here is the next chapter so I hope you enjoy it! :D

"Your Arms Feel Like Home" by 3 Doors Down

"More Than Meets the Eye" by Aviators

"Feather In Blood" by NerdOut

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **"Of Strange and Rebelling Hearts"**

Loki immediately put himself in front of Elizabeth, his green eyes narrowed venomously on the man who stood at the window the gun still raised and finger on the trigger. Thor raised his hammer, the lightning crackling around it madly and Patrick pushed Darcy into the corner to shield her. But before anyone could act, an inhuman scream rippled out of the body lying on the floor. Amaryllis got up off of the ground, the bullet dropping to the floor with a clink and a gaping hole in her head that was impossibly healing and turned to give Jason the most venomous look imaginable, and suddenly Jason went flying, thrown by an invisible force across the room into the nearby by wall. The wall cracked underneath the force, and Jason fell down, out cold.

Elizabeth hands were pressed tightly into Loki's shoulder, her blue eyes flickered to Jason to the woman. "Oh, my God. Did…did you just kill Jason?" She asked, her voice high pitched with panic.

"I didn't kill him," Amaryllis stated, grimacing at the bloody mess on her clothes. With a sharp gesture of her hand, her clothes changed into a blue sweater and black jeans that were clean of any spec of blood. Her face was unblemished and inscrutable as ever, like she had never been shot at all. Even Asgardians and Frost Giants were hardier and quick to heal, but not like this woman before them. She was a powerful force, and Loki hoped that she was truly on their side. If she were an enemy, he shuddered to think about that possibility. "Believe me, it crossed my mind to. It is not often a mortal takes me by surprise, let alone manages to do damage. But given the fact you knew his name, I figured that meant you'd relatively want him in one piece."

Elizabeth's mouth opened and closed, floundering for a proper response.

"Patrick," Darcy shoved past him with a slight glare, "you don't put baby in the corner."

"I was trying to shield you," Patrick defended, a blush on his cheeks.

"As much as I appreciate your hot bod, especially in close proximity to mine, I am not some maiden need saving from a dragon," Darcy told him, with an eye roll.

"I-I wasn't using that as an attempt to—" Patrick said, faltering.

Darcy snorted. "Should have. It is what I would have done."

Elizabeth let out a shuddering breath, her hand unconsciously seeking out Loki's. His heart was warmed by the gesture, and he stepped to her side to give her comfort. . "I-I don't understand. Why would Jason do that? You haven't done anything to him," Elizabeth stuttered out, looking at the man with wide eyes. "Why would he just shoot you like that?"

"He is possessed," Amaryllis replied, with a side-eyed glance at the brunette. "Another reason I did not outright kill him. The man is not responsible for his actions."

Dr. Strange was already at Jason's side, his hands waving in the air and fiery orange symbols and patterns appeared in the air. His eyes were peering down at the unconscious man warily, and upset. "A lower level demon. It has been hosted inside of him for a great number of years for now," the sorcerer explained, quickly. "It will have to be removed, or it will surely kill him. It is amazing that he has survived for this many years with it inside of his mind."

"A demon?" Elizabeth gaped. " _Inside_ his head?"

"Is he dangerous?" Loki demanded, ice forming around his hands. He would not allow any harm come to Elizabeth and the ones she cared for.

"Normally, this demon just drains the memories and life out of a person. They do not normally cause levels of this type of aggression without someone intentionally provoking them," Dr. Strange explained, with a deep frown.

"So someone sent him here on purpose," Thor stated, darkly.

"A demon on a leash," Amaryllis commented, peering down at the man on the ground. "The spell caster who is responsible for this atrocity would have to be close to the man, to keep the demon bound in his head."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

"A person can fight off this type of parasite if their will is strong enough. If what Strange said is true, then he should have been able to fend off this demon if it had been an accidental incident. For it to stay with him for years, it implies that someone wanted this man dead, or to suffer painfully," Amaryllis commented, her chest rose and fell with a deep breath.

"Oh, my God," Elizabeth whispered, her voice trembled.

Loki could tell from the way she spoke, and shook against his back that she cared for the man on the couch. The very thought sliced him through the gut, and he swallowed, thickly. He could see the resemblance to Elizabeth's youngest boy, Jake, and knew this man must be his father. He wished the dark feeling of jealous did not swirl white hot in his gut, but it did despite how much he tried to stomp it down. It was a horrible feeling to think that his soul-mate had found love elsewhere, and he hadn't even gotten a chance to prove himself to her.

Suddenly white balls of light shimmered in the center of the room, and when the light dissipated, there were three women suddenly standing there.

"Intruders!" Darcy blurted out.

Thor glanced uneasily at the new arrivals, unsure if he should attack or wait to see what they were about. Loki caught his brother's eye, and gave him a small shake of his head. The God of Thunder eased, lowering his weapon to his side and watched carefully.

"Well, I see that we arrived right in time to stop things from escalating," the taller of the brunette scoffed, lightly. Her right eyebrow arched, and light hazel almond shaped eyes flickered over the chaos with a slight cringe.

"I am sorry, okay?" The red head stated, petulantly. "I couldn't just white lighter out of my workplace when you called with the vision! Can't expose magic and all that, right?"

"Paige, Phoebe, enough," the woman with the long dark haired stated, firmly. "Now is not the time to be fussing over this. In case, you haven't realized we have a bit of an audience including our not so dead ancestor," she added, her dark brown eyes flickered over to Amaryllis.

Amaryllis peered at them, carefully. "You are of my line?" Her green eyes examined them from head to toe, and the line of her shoulders relaxed after several seconds. "Ah, yes. I see the resemblance now. You are my adopted daughter Melinda Warrens descendants. Piper, Phoebe, Paige," she pointed at each other them, recalling their names. "There was Prue, too, but she has since entered the realm of the dead."

Paige shifted uncomfortably, while Piper and Phoebe seemed to flinch back from the obviously painful reminder.

"Wait. How can she be your ancestor if she only adopted your ancestor?" Darcy asked, raising her hand as if she were in class. "I know on paper you'd be their ancestor, but not by blood."

"It was not a mortal adoption. I adopted Melinda by blood when her own parents forsaken her out in the forest to die as a babe because of her magic," Amaryllis explained, with a flick of her hand and ropes appeared around Jason's body. With a wave of her hand, she levitated him and placed him on the couch. It was a motion not down out of kindness for the man, but for Elizabeth, Loki noted. He was beginning to wonder if this Lady Death did not come out of her for concern for the world, but out of concern for Elizabeth herself. Still he couldn't figure out just why Amaryllis would care so dearly for his beloved.

"And she not just our ancestor," the red head piped up.

"Paige," Piper and Phoebe said, in unison.

"What? Don't Elizabeth and Darcy have a right to know that they are part of Melinda Warren's legacy, too?" Paige demanded, hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth gasped.

"How did you know their names?" Patrick asked, defensively.

"Wait?" Darcy's eyes bugged out. "Does this mean I have super power?"

Loki's brows rose to his hairline. _Well, that answers that why Amaryllis is interested in the matter of Ragnarök. She is here because her descendants are tied to it, and Elizabeth is the center of it._ He feared what that would mean if the All-father learned of this. He was powerful, but he was nothing compared to Odin. He could not protect her alone, and he glanced around the room of people that had all been gathered here for one reason or another.

 _Perhaps, I will not have to._

* * *

Elizabeth felt like she was losing her mind.

She felt like Alice that had fallen down the rabbit hole, and things already seem crazy, but she still had yet to hit bottom. She chewed on her lower lip trying to unravel all that happened. Loki had returned to her life with his brother in tow, and her cousin Darcy in tow. Stephen Strange showed up at her door with the Master of Death, proclaiming that the end of the world was here and Elizabeth's visions were the key to stopping it. As if that were not enough, Jason has been possessed by a soul sucking demon for years which made her fill with a bunch of conflicting emotions and was being controlled by someone close to him. A number of people came to mind, and now the Charmed Ones—Piper, Phoebe, Paige who were also distant relatives to her and Darcy—showed up because Phoebe had a vision of Jason hurting Elizabeth badly.

It seems if Amaryllis weren't there, then the bullet would have hit Elizabeth. If Fate did exist, it seemed to be converging around her home like never before. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. She had children to consider, and she didn't want to bring danger in her life. But did she really have a choice? The visions had brought this on her doorstep before even Thor had showed up, so it seemed like this was going to happen whether they had been here or not.

"Your thoughts grow heavy," Loki noted, a worried frown marring his features.

"I am just worried," Elizabeth whispered, sitting at the kitchen table. "I can't pretend that this won't in some way affect my boys, and that danger isn't making a home in my life. I've done and sacrifice so much to keep my babies safe, and now it is for nothing."

"The sacrifices we make for our children," Loki said, grasping her hand gently. "They are never for nothing. Try as we might, we can never protect them forever from the cruelty of the world, but that doesn't mean we never stop trying."

Elizabeth looked at him through the curtain of her hair. Her heart ached for him and all that he went through, and for his children that were out there who had to grow up lost and scared. No matter how terrifying they had appeared in the dream, now that she knew they were children it made her angry at Odin for condemning them and turning them into what they had become. Or would become depending on just when the vision took place. "I'm really glad you are here," she told him, smiling ever so slightly. "Have I told you that?"

"Not in those exact terms, but it has been implied," Loki grinned, that charming boyish grin of his that always set her heart pitter patter. "Though I don't think I would get tired of hearing it no matter what the wording."

Elizabeth glanced over the Charmed Ones who conversed with Amaryllis and Dr. Strange about the demon inside of Jason and how to get rid of it. She didn't know what to make of that. What kind of effect could demon have on him? She knew that somewhere after they had broken up at the courthouse that Jason's personality had shifted, but she hadn't been close enough to him to feel right about pointing it out. Even if she had, would have Carly or Sonny or Sam have listened? They had always liked to say that they knew him best, and that Elizabeth never had. She wasn't sure what to make of it, and turned her eyes to focus on the man beside her. "I never imagined my life would ever become this crazy, and I have been through things that were pretty crazy," she chuckled, nervously.

"Tell me about your life," Loki insisted, his eyes softly looking at her. "Did you continue pursuing your passion for art?"

Elizabeth gifted him a sad smile. "Sadly, no. Life just took me in a direction where I could rely on my art to pay the bills, and take of me. I had to do better for Cameron, so I went into nursing much to my family's joy. I still paint and draw on occasion, but I…have lost my drive to really put heart into my works anymore," said the nurse, with a light sigh. It was a big regret that she let her talent go wasted, but her life just didn't house time for her to indulge in it anymore. The passion she once poured onto the canvas had fizzled away entirely.

"That is a shame," Loki said. "You were quite wonderful at it."

"You flatter me."

"I speak only truths, in this matter at least."

Elizabeth let out a breathless chuckle. "Maybe one day after this mess is all said and done, and then I'll be able to pick up a paint brush. Maybe you will actually let me paint your portrait," she added, with a sly gleam in her eye. He had been so set against her drawing or painting him, and it was a constant battle between them to before he had left. She hadn't the heart to draw him after that, feeling his betrayal too keen to put into words.

"Perhaps, I will if only to give rise to your muse. Art is important to life and expressing passion, it shows how we see the world and most importantly how we see ourselves," Loki commented, with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Everyone gathered around the table, putting a halt to the conversation between Elizabeth and Loki for the time being. Amaryllis made a steeple with her fingers, and glanced around the room. "Should we wake up the agents or leave them to slumber?" She asked, with an eyebrow arched.

"It will be best to wake them. Fury will wish to know of the threat on the horizon," Thor commented, with a sharp nod of his head. "And any allies that we can gather on our side, the better."

"I don't think you quite remember, brother, but the Black Widow and Agent Barton are not fond of me for a good number of reasons," Loki stated, cautiously.

Thor glanced at his brother, and sighed. "That may be true, but I trust them enough to set their personal matters aside to help us with this threat," the God of Thunder asserted, sitting down at the very end of the table beside Darcy and Patrick. The Charmed Ones sat adjacent of Loki and Elizabeth and Dr. Strange while Amaryllis sat at the head of the table.

Elizabeth gnawed on her lower lip. "If they are a problem, can you stop them from hurting someone?" She asked, looking around at Amaryllis.

"It would be child's play," Amaryllis snorted.

"Uh, I don't know about this. The last the government got wind of us, it was ended badly," Piper said, worriedly. She glanced around the table, and swallowed thickly. "Also people tend not to like witches, just look at a history book."

Dr. Strange tapped his fingers along his chin. "I may have a way to keep their silence," the sorcerer stated, his blue eyes flickered to Amaryllis. "If you are amendable to this suggestion, that is?"

Amaryllis leaned over, and Dr. Strange whispered in her ear. After a moment, a flash of surprised moved through green eyes before she gave a solid nod. The sorcerer raised his hands, his motions careful and purposeful weaving a spell in the air in a beautiful pattern that hissed and moved in the air. Amaryllis leaned forward, the tips of her fingers glowing greenish blue and she created strings adding to the spells pattern like a weaver added details to a quilt. Elizabeth sucked in a hard gasp, feeling the power shimmer across her skin. It was like a siren's song that called to something deep in her blood, and she watched the magic with wide eyes.

"That is so cool," Darcy whispered out, enviously.

"One day you'll be able to do this, too," Amaryllis said, with a quick smile at the younger woman.

Darcy's eyes grew wide. "I get super powers? Did you hear that?" She asked, looking at Patrick excitedly.

Patrick chuckled. "Somehow, I'm not sure the world can handle you with superpowers."

"That's good, because I don't want to world to handle me," Darcy grinned, salaciously. "I'd rather leave that in your capable hands."

Patrick choked on his drink.

Paige snickered. "And I thought Phoebe was the only one that flirt like that without a lick shame."

"Obviously it's a family trait," Phoebe sniffed, biting back a smirk.

Amaryllis and Dr. Strange finished the spell, and the runes and symbols flew across the floor, before melding just over the floor along the threshold from the kitchen into the living room. The Black Widow and Agent Barton would have no choice, but to step over it to get into the room. "What is that?" Elizabeth whispered to Loki, quietly.

Loki shifted forward, his lips brushing the shell of her ear and caused a pleasant shiver to rush down her spine. "An unbreakable vow of sorts, it has been modified to fit the circumstances. The Black Widow and Hawkeye shall only be able to tell Director Fury the facts and circumstances, but not the names or faces of the people involved here. A necessary precaution because the one called Piper was right," Loki whispered, his breath caressing in her cheek in a way that was wholly distracting. It was in the moment that Elizabeth realized how wonderful he smelt. A crisp, masculine spice with an underscore of sweetness that would curb the flash of heat and she found herself breathing in deeply, savoring the smell unconsciously. "This world's occupants have never looked upon magic users favorably, and it is best to avoid dangerous religious zealots where one can."

"You speak as if you have experience," Elizabeth said, tilting her head towards him. Her nose brushed the side of his cheek, he was sitting so close to her. He just gave her a mischievous smile in reply, and a shrug of his shoulder. "Trouble maker," she accused, lightly.

"Of the highest order," Loki agreed, with a low and raspy laugh.

Elizabeth gave a breathless chuckle.

With a snap of Amaryllis's fingers, there was a curse from the kitchen followed by a clatter. Elizabeth watched the smirk spread across the woman's face, and got a feeling that she enjoyed mischief almost as much as Loki did.

The two avengers immediately entered the room, and the spell flashed brightly. Black Widow immediately pulled out her guns, pointing them at Loki but Elizabeth stepped instinctually in front of him. Hawkeye had an arrow drawn back and pointed at Thor, as if to stop him if he dared interfere.

"There is no need for violence," Piper stated, with a saccharine smile. "We aren't your enemies, and needless to say it wouldn't go well for you if you decide to make us into such."

Black Widow's icy green eyes flickered across the group, a line appeared between her brow.

"We're trying to stop the end of the world," Elizabeth stated, arms folded over her chest. Her blue eyes were hard and sharp, even in the face of an assassin holding a gun pointed at her and Hawkeye pointed an arrow at Loki. "So you can either let us explain the situation, or you could be put back in time out. Choose carefully because while I might not be much of anything, but these people behind me are probably some of the most power people in the world from what I've gathered, and they don't take too kindly to threats."

"Damn straight we don't," Phoebe said, hand on her hip.

"I once boiled someone alive in a bronze bull for threatening and harming a child underneath my care," Amaryllis commented, off-handedly. "I do believe I kept that bull around somewhere. Perhaps, it is time to take it out of storage."

Her tone was idle, but Elizabeth saw the way that those green eyes were pinned on Natasha. It was a strange feeling that came over Elizabeth. She didn't like people being hurt, she would never condone such a thing, but to have people that had her back was something she sorely missed. Patrick, Epiphany, and Felix were the few who still stayed her friends, but she didn't get much time with Epiphany and Felix because of Monica making sure their schedules were conflicting so they could never get time off together. But this wasn't just friendship that Amaryllis and the Charmed Ones presented, but _family._ When she had been fourteen—abandoned by her family and seemingly by Loki—all she wanted was someone to magically pop in her life, and make her feel like she belonged. Like she mattered and could be loved and be a part of a family. Darcy and her mom helped fill that void, but it still felt like the family dynamic was missing something.

And now it seemed it didn't. It was strange how easily the Charmed Ones had won Darcy over—who was wary of everyone—and she had to admit that she, too, was growing fond of them. They were smart, witty, and like the sisters that Elizabeth had once upon a time wished for. Amaryllis was strange, her mannerisms beyond human comprehension at times, but there was a good heart underneath her distant exterior; a heart that longed for family and a place to belong, even greater than Elizabeth ever had. Elizabeth wasn't used to trusting so easily. After all she had been through, she felt like she should put up more walls and keep these people at a distance.

But something in her soul told her to jump head first. She had always second guessed herself so many times and the price usually was her happiness. Why not put a little on faith? Why not give a little trust? If it were ever a time to start believing in miracles and magic full heartedly then it would be now. She never imagined that Loki would come back in her life, but here he was. She never imagined finding more family, but here they were. Even with the crazy end of the world, Elizabeth was finding that the future didn't seem so scary at all.

Hawkeye was the first of the assassins who relented, surprisingly. He lowered his bow carefully, and shoved his arrow back into his quiver. "I don't like him," he pointed at Loki, with a serious expression on his face. "I won't like him now or in a hundred years from now, but I'm willing to hear out what's going on if the world is in danger. I owe Thor that much. We owe him that," he added, shooting his partner a look.

Black Widow drew in a deep breath, before she relaxed her taut posture and slid her guns back into the holster at her hips. She stared stoically at the group, and arched a cold brow. "Start talking," she demanded, her tone void of any and all emotion.

It was decided to let Thor explain things to them, given the fact that he was closest with the pair and they might take what he said with more faith than anyone else. After filling the assassins in, Hawkeye stared blankly at the wall before he whispered, "Well, shit."

"I know this is a lot to take in…" Thor stated.

Hawkeye cut him off. "It's more than a lot. You know before Stark made his suit and you feel out of the sky, my life at SHIELD was relatively normal? I didn't fight aliens or demons, just regular megalomaniac assholes who needed taken down a peg or several," the archer groused, his shoulders slumped heavily.

"And the magic at the doorway?" Black Widow questioned.

"It was a spell to ensure your silence about our identities. Not everyone wants to be put in your SHIELD database, or be known as heroes," Dr. Strange explained, arms folded over his chest.

The female assassin dipped her head in acknowledgment. "Fair enough. So what is the plan?"

"Amaryllis?" Elizabeth glanced at the ancient being. "You are the one who seems to have dealt with stuff like this more than the rest of us, so if you have any idea of where we should start that would be helpful?"

"Hmm." Amaryllis created a steeple with her fingers, and thought about it carefully. "Thor, Dr. Strange and I shall be facing the demon that we remove from this Jason. We will have to force it to manifest in physical form, and the most secure place to do that would be at the Sanctum."

"Wong won't be pleased, but will understand," Dr. Strange replied.

"Black Widow and Hawkeye will shadow Patrick and Darcy when they go to get the kids. Whoever is responsible for the pulling the strings and causing the man to become violent is a concern that cannot be ignored. Elizabeth will be staying here with the Charmed Ones, attempting to use spell and potions to enhance her visions to figure out just how to prevent the End of World. Loki will stay because I do not think he would be willing to part with Elizabeth, am I right?" She sent the Trickster a look, and when he did not oppose such a notion, she looked around at everyone at the table and asked, "Are we all in agreement?"

And so the plan was set.

* * *

Darcy felt her scalp prickle uneasily. They picked up the kids without incident, but she swore that she saw Sam loitering around outside of a school which she had no reason for being near. Jake had slung of his backpack, and collapsed onto Patrick's couch, falling asleep almost instantly. They had track and field day at school and he was tuckered. Cameron had curled up in the chair, and was texting on his phone with a speed that Darcy was slightly envious of. Patrick had to take a call from the hospital and was in the other room, leaving Darcy with Emma.

Darcy felt a little awkward. She had never really been good with kids, but she kind of wanted to make a good impression on Emma. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to do. She literally had only known Patrick for like a day, but there was something about the dark haired and brown eyes charmer that reeled her in like a fish on a hook. "So…ever made a homemade taser?" Darcy asked, fidgeting a little nervously. Stark had told her that kids were like sharks, and that if they smelt blood, they would go in for the kill. She wasn't sure she put that much stock in what Tony said, but the overly calm expression on Emma Drake's face made a cold sweat break out along her skin.

"No," Emma replied, neutrally.

Darcy felt a twinge where her heart was. Elizabeth had told her how Robin had left again, after being miraculously alive and how Sam's abrupt break up with Patrick to run back to Jason had screwed the kid up even more. Darcy could sympathize. She loved her mom, she really did, but her mom's love life was rocky. It gave Darcy a plethora of daddy issues, on top of not knowing who her father actually was. "Do you want to go make one?" She asked, after a moment.

Emma regarded her for a long silence moment. "Sure," the girl shrugged, getting up on her feet. The aloofness on her face eased into something more child-like, and Darcy was mildly impressed. The kid had a heck of a poker face, and Darcy had a feeling she had just passed some sort of test. She wasn't sure how she passed, or why, but the knot in her stomach eased up.

Darcy pulled out her tablet from her backpack, and settled on the floor beside Emma showing her the schematics that she had designed. After a while, the girl had a smile on her face and was asking questions. Even Cameron got off his phone, and joined them. When Patrick entered the room, he saw them sitting there and smiled at the scene. "Hey, Darcy," he said, quietly.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him.

"I have to head to the hospital. There was an accident and a child needs surgery," Patrick explained, with a hint of regret in his voice. "Are you going to be alright with the kids here?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine," she reassured him, brightly.

Patrick smiled. "Alright. Don't get into too much trouble."

"No promises."

After Patrick left, Darcy sat with the kids for another half an hour before she found them some science shows on Netflix. The kids had been enthralled with mechanics, and it never hurt to encourage a child young to see the beauties of the scientific world. That's when a vicious knock came at the door, and annoyance burst across her skin like fire ants. Her eyes narrowed, glancing at the kids, but they were too focused on her tablet and the show they were watching to notice anything amiss. She subtly grabbed her taser from her coat, and made her way to the door. She pulled it open, and felt her irritation kick up another notch when she saw Sam standing there. "What do you want?" She asked, her tone not even in the littlest bit nice.

Sam glowered. "Look, I don't know what you are trying to pull with Patrick, but—"

Darcy raised her taser without batting an eye, and fired. In the next second, Sam was on the ground twitching and flailing. "Nope," Darcy said, with a blunt tone. "I don't deal with stupid."

She hit the other button, retracting the cords and then shut the door leaving Sam on the doorstep without another word.

* * *

Loki stood out on the porch, a great wealth of feeling rested upon his breast. He leaned forward, bracing his palms against the wooden railing. He felt so out of place here in this quite little home, like he did not truly belong even if his soul told him that he did. He startled slightly when Amaryllis appeared out of the corner of his eye, and he hadn't even sense her approach.

"Penny for your thoughts? I fear I do not know any Asgardian currency."

"My thoughts are my own," Loki replied, shortly.

"So they are," Amaryllis stated, with a minimal nod.

Loki peered at her youthful face, noting the similarities to Elizabeth. "Why did you bother coming to help us? One with your power would surely see humankind beneath them," he said, with a deep frown imprinted on his face. "Your attitude even seems to imply that you don't hold them in high regard, but your actions imply that you aren't as apathetic to the world and its people as you want to appear. Maybe if bold enough venture to claim that you even _care_."

"That would be too bold," Amaryllis told him, though no real heat to her words.

The God of Mischief smiled. "You keep yourself at a distance to the world and its people. You've loved and lost before, and you tell yourself that you don't need that kind of pain. But loneliness is a strange motivator. It compels us regardless of the oncoming pain to seek out others, to stem the tide of agony just for one brief moment of happiness."

Amaryllis did not deny his accusation, but gave him a searching look. Whatever she found seemed to sadden and displease her in equal measure. "You believe what you will have with Elizabeth is fleeting," she stated, her eyebrow rose upward. "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes, silver tongue," she added, sharply when Loki's mouth opened. "I see more into this universe than you can comprehend, and I have sensed the bond between you and her since the moment I appeared in front of this house. It is a like a beacon, a lighthouse in the midst of a stormy ocean calling ships to shore and safety."

Loki's jaw clacked shut. For a moment, he stared stupefied at the woman in front of him and then his green eyes looked away. "She is mortal. Her life will pass far quickly than mine will. It is…a cruel fate to tie her to me," he whispered out, the wind swirling his hair around his face.

"Is that what you believe?" Amaryllis questioned, with an eyebrow arched. It was moments like this where her facial expression were eerily similar to Elizabeth's, and there was no questioning that they were indeed related by blood. "Or do you fear she will reject you because of your Frost Giant lineage?"

Loki flinched. "Of course not."

Amaryllis gave him a knowing look that made him uncomfortable. It was the one his mother often got when he would attempt to lie to her. "If you believe Elizabeth would reject you because of that perhaps you are unworthy of her since you think so lowly of her character," she stated, a sly underscore to her words.

"There is no one I think more highly of than Elizabeth," Loki glared.

"Then you know that she has a compassionate heart, and that she would never turn a soul away for circumstances beyond their own control," Amaryllis stated, smiling sharply.

Loki felt his eyes narrow. "How do you even know so much about Elizabeth? One would think that you have been keeping an eye on her for a very long time," the God of Mischief commented, his tone scathingly. Her words made him feel anxious, and nervous. It was like she could see through any façade that he attempted to put up, and he did not like that one bit.

"I started watching Elizabeth when her parents failed in their duties to protect her," Amaryllis admitted, easily. "You see the magic in my line is not always powerful in each branch. The Charmed Ones direct ancestors married into more magic, preserving their powers while Elizabeth's direct ancestors did not. The magic was fleeting, came and went in the Webber line. If Elizabeth had an open minded family that would love her, her powers could have been nourished and strengthened. The same with young Darcy and her mother. Instead, they suffered hardships in their lives and their powers were forced to turn inward to preserve their sanity and their lives many times over through the dangers that found them. It has stunted them, and harmed them."

"Then why not come to their aid before now?" Loki demanded, angrily. "If you could have prevented such harm, why not do so?"

"Fate is not idle, Loki Laufeyson, and it does not take well to meddling. The repercussions of me interfering before now would have caused untold amount of devastation, so do no mistake my inactions for apathy," she hissed, her green eyes flashed with power. An unnatural wind swirled around the being far older than him, stirring her black hair making it look like snakes swirling about. "I had a limited window of opportunity to approach my descendants. Just be grateful that it has coincided with this prophecy, and that your future is not doomed."

Loki paled, his eyes widened at the sheer amount of power that rippled off Amaryllis. He had only felt such power from Odin and Thanos, and a shaft of fear ran down his spine. Whatever was on his expression made the woman soften, and the power receded back into its deceiving mortal looking vessel. She turned away from him, and walked down to the end of the porch. Silence yawned between them, and Loki knew a dismissal when he saw one. He hesitated for a split second to move, and then rushed back into the house.

When the door clattered shut, Amaryllis heaved a sigh. "Take heart, Trickster," she stated, underneath her breath. Her emerald eyes looked out across the peaceful and calm yard with a wistful sort of expression on her face as the clouds started to roll in. "Your love may not be as doomed as you think. If I have my way, Elizabeth Webber and all those who of my line will be living for a very, _very_ long time."

* * *

Elizabeth watched with wide-eyed fascination as the Charmed Ones set about making the potion with the caldron and ingredients that they had teleported home to grab quickly. "You all seem to take this whole chaos in stride," she commented, as Piper ground up verbena with the ivory mortar and pestle. Phoebe had set the small cauldron on a portable burner, and Paige was going over the spell that she scribbled out on a piece of paper.

"We've been doing this for a long time," Piper admitted.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked.

"For about seven years now," Phoebe replied, with a light laugh.

"You weren't born with it?" Elizabeth cocked her head to the side.

"We were, but our mother locked away our powers in order to protect us. The sooner our powers manifested, the sooner the dark forces in the world would come after us to smother them out. It wasn't until we were in our early twenties that we learned the truth about everything, and we've been balancing everyday life with battling the forces of evil ever since," Piper answered, taking a pinch of dried eucalyptus adding it into the mixture.

"I came in a bit later," Paige said, with a shrug. She scribbled out a line, glaring petulantly at the paper. "It was a whole big mess, but I got a family out of it so that was something."

Elizabeth fell silent, wondering if she was getting a family out of this mess herself. "So you can just make up spells on the fly?" She gestured towards the paper, a bit confused.

"Words have power. Wiccans like us just have the added responsibility of choosing what we say carefully because our powers are tied to the intent of everything we do. If put bad things out in the universe, we get bad brought on us. If we put good out there, then we get good in return," Paige explained, her eyes lighting up with an epiphany. She wrote down something hurriedly on the pad of paper, and Elizabeth decided to leave the women to it. She walked into the living just to see Loki sitting on the couch with a contemplating look on his face.

"The others have left. If all goes well, then you friend will be returned to himself soon enough," Loki informed her, when she sat down beside him.

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?" Elizabeth whispered out.

"With the demon leeching off him for years, he will have a long recovery ahead of him," the Trickster nodded, turning to face her slightly. "But I am more concerned about you."

"Concerned about me?" She asked, her tone mild.

Loki reached out, almost hesitantly before he rested a hand upon her knee. His touch was gentle and comforting, his green eyes looked at her with glow that always made her heart ricochet inside of her chest wildly. "Your life was simple before all of this. Perhaps, it could have stayed that way if I had not come here," he spoke, his tone filled with sorrow and an apologetic smile curved his lips.

"None of this is your fault," Elizabeth reassured him. "I have a feeling this would have happened regardless if you were involved or not. In fact, things probably would have gone worse if your brother and you hadn't shown up."

"If you say so."

"I do say so," she told him, with a sassy tone. Her expression softened, and she covered his hand with hers. "Have I told you that I am glad that you here?" She repeated her question from earlier, knowing that it would lighten the shadows on his face.

"You have, but it is something I will never get tired of hearing," he replied, with a wide boyish grin.

Elizabeth felt her heart squeeze tight in her chest, and she had a sudden realization overwhelm her when she staring into his eyes. She could feel herself falling in love with this man, so quickly and so fast—

And she didn't think she could fight it if she tried.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER!**

 **Elizabeth and Loki get time to bond more, the Charmed Ones prepare a potion, Jason has to face his demon with the help of others, and Sam's plan unfolds just as Odin sends warrior to retrieve his runaway children.**

 **RRs are appreciated.**


	8. Loki - Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own nothing from General Hospital, Marvel, DC, NCIS, Harry Potter, Charmed. The fandoms and characters belong to their respective owners. This is for amusement purposes only, and to better my writing skills. :D

Summary: Elizabeth finds that it is hard to move onto the future when the past keeps pulling her back.

Pairings: Liz/Loki, Thor/Jane, Darcy/Patrick mentions of Liason, Lusam, Jasam and more

Alternative History: This is set in December, 2014. Anything that has happened after that point is null and void and has absolutely no bearing on this story. Major facts you will need to know straight off the bat is: Elizabeth told the truth at the Nurses Ball. She also didn't switch Danny's DNA test. Franco did, and he is in an asylum after the stint him and Nina pulled with Ava's baby, and hasn't been let out so he isn't even in the picture. Elizabeth wasn't in Jason's orbit ever since he got back with Sam, because while Jason forgave her, Elizabeth never could. The only time the pair had contact was when he rescued her from Ewen, and that was it. Liz only married Ric once, never considered marrying him again until 2012-14 period. Liz only married Lucky twice, but at their second wedding, she got sick and postponed it. By the time it came around, Liz and Lucky had parted ways. Lucky and Liz reunion did not happen in 2009, and Nicolas never acted upon his feelings for Liz in 2010 no Niz affair. Any other changes will be explained throughout the story. Hope you all enjoy.

Warnings: This is not Lucky, Sam, Monica, Maxie, Carly friendly. There may be more, but those are the few that came immediately to mind. If you are fan of these characters, then you may wish not to read it. Abandon ship now. Don't say you weren't warned later. AMENDED WARNING: I didn't think this was honestly going to be romance heavy, but romance has found its way into the plot lines. However, it is going to drama-focused, with Elizabeth moving forward, but the past and a web of lies keeps trying to pull her down. There will be romance, but it wasn't be the whole of the story. Some outcomes involve character deaths, mentions of torture and suicide, non-explicit sexual implications, and more.

I want to thank Bryantk82, Palindrome062, bookfreak25, kcke2pen, knightmare627, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, Alexa6, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Spiritkit, lrobinson01, retiredlady, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, Robinpikala, pwrmom2, ilovedana53, byland, kikimoo, chemma, asiapikala, maddiemom, aphass, bjq, SoapOperaEmpress, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134, BeachGirl114, Gyngerbear, beachanita, Paula-may, Aproctor18, Patti Jeffries, cotytto, knightmare627, Kimora J, Copswife, maxberco, Jmmartinez227129, ReedBrenda75 for the follows!

I want to thank Bryantk82, mif456, notenoughlove, trini12180, ScienceGirl972, Wonderwomom, mraymond73, Meghie03, Spiritkit, retiredlady, Lovelogan1, arcoiris0502, ilovedana53, kikimoo, bookfreak25, maddiemom, rockrose, allyred123, Jessiness5134, knightmare627, BeachGirl114, mgrand11, THEfictionfanatic, Patti Jeffries, nettiegurl, Phasesofthemoom, shorteve, killianariel18100, maxberco, Jmmartinez227129, AfricanAngel94 for the favs!

I want to thank the "Girl Friday" for adding my story to their community. :D

I want to thank, arcoiris0502, trini12180, pwrmom2, abstractartist, kcke2pen, bjq, Guest, Guest 2, Jmmartinez227129, leasmom, bjq! :D

I want to thank "Girl Friday" for being added to her community.

Guest reviews:

Guest: Thank you so much. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it. Right, a demon being lodged in Jaosn's brain would have explained SO MUCH. I like all the Charmed, including Paige though I totally understand what you mean about the whole Cole situation. It was like they had to sell Cole down the river in order to validate Paige as a Charmed One, when it was absolutely unnecessary. There were so many other ways to write Paige as a good character without destroying another. Thank you again for the amazing review! I really appreciate it. :D

Guest 2: Thank you! It made me laugh to have Darcy taser Sam. I don't think Darcy would put up with all that nonsense, so she's like "nope" and got the drop on Miss Ride and Die. I really wanted to add that scene because Emma is a shrewd kid, so she's going to pick that Darcy is interested in her dad and with the whole flip flop between Sabrina and Robin, Robin leaving again and then Sam dropping Patrick like a hot potato when Jason returned, that's going to give the kid trust issues. So I wanted a scene where Emma is like 'alright, she's cool' and kind of accepts Darcy. The Charmed Ones are a good bunch, and Amaryllis is definitely a keeper. She has no problem getting everyone on the same page, and guarding them all at the same time. She is a bit of a mother hen, if a bit stoic at times. Omg, I didn't even think of the possibility of Courtney. That would have been funny! Thank you so much for the wonderful review.

* * *

Chapter Five

"Sinking Stones"

Jason Morgan felt like his entire body was on fire and hurting.

There were moments when he didn't quite feel like himself, like a veil folded over his mind and he was surrounded by white noise. He could see the world around him, but he felt like a puppet pulled on strings. He fought the sensation, fought it tooth and nail, but his strength waned over time. He wasn't sure that he had the strength to go onward, and then he felt fingertips—cool and refreshing—pressed against his temples. He felt the shackles on his mind rattle dangerously, and he felt his eyes open to find himself in a dark circular room that looked like something out of a nightmare. The stone floor was cracked and falling away, the walls were alive and moving with shadows and splash of blood red.

He could hear the screams of his loved ones rattled around in his head, tormenting him endlessly and he wanted to cringe back. He wanted to hide away from the pain that blistered through his heart, but a hand reached out grasping his wrist. He looked up in surprise to see a dark haired young woman giving him a cold look and with a surprising strength she hauled him upward to his feet. "Jason Morgan, you've hidden from the pain for too long. It has festered giving a demon a foothold in your heart, and you have to face it in order to be rid of it," she told him, her voice held an ominous tone. "But fear not, this is not a monster that you will have to face alone."

Jason blinked in surprise, and noticed two people standing behind her. One was the man named Thor that he vaguely recalled meeting in Kelly's, and a stranger with a goatee and red cape that swirled around him like it was alive. "What…what is going on?" He asked, feeling his skull throb with agony.

"You have been under the influence of a demon," the woman stated, simply.

The wizard looking fellow scoffed. "Perhaps, we should have eased him into situation, Amaryllis."

"There is no time to spare feelings, or console a disbelieving soul, Dr. Strange. He will fight or he will die," Amaryllis countered, her eyes—that reminded him of Elizabeth's eyed just green instead of blue—bore into his soul as if judging him and his worth. He felt his spine prickled with apprehension, an instinctual fear telling him that if she found him unworthy that the consequences would be damning. Finally after what felt like eternity, she turned her gaze to her companions. "The demon draws near. So prepare yourself."

Jason didn't have to think, or find will himself to believe. All he felt was the most intense fear wash over him, and there were few things that caused Jason Morgan to be afraid. A dark sharp oozed up from the cracks along the floor, until it stood as tall as a person and slowly the inky blob took on a familiar form—it looked exactly like _him,_ except more demonic and evil. As it came towards him, Jason struggled to comprehend what it was—the way it moved was utterly inhuman, and those eyes were like death and promised a world of pain, and he didn't know how to fight back. His hands reached for his gun, but it wasn't there. _Would a gun even work?_ He thought as his mouth ran dry with panic.

A large sickening smile spread across it's features, and it's razor sharp teeth were stained with blood. _"So the brain dead mongrel has decided to fight back, has he?"_ The demon rasped, his voice like nails on a chalk board. _"And has gathered a group of impressive friends, but it is of no consequence, for they cannot destroy me for you."_

A shudder rolled through the demon from head to toe, and its transformed into a towering beast that with foot long claws and eight yellow beady eyes. The edges of the beast were jagged, like broken glass and darkness swirled along its skin like smoke. _"Now die!"_ It shouted, lashing out with a great hand.

Jason watched, transfixed as the claws came closer and closer, rooted to the spot. A sharp jerk on the collar of his shirt pulled him out the way, and he looked up startled by the sharp green eyes that bore down on him. "Don't just stand there!" Amaryllis snapped.

Jason blanched. "You expect me to fight that?"

"So you would rather give up and die?"

"Of course not!" Jason glowered.

Amaryllis sneered, her teeth bared. "Then you are going to have to get up and fight."

"How?" He demanded, harshly.

"This is your mind, Mr. Morgan," Amaryllis responded him, frostily. "You are _the_ weapon."

The demon growled, lunging forward towards them. Strange summoned magical shields that swirled with archaic symbols, blocking the demon's charge and he grunted from the impact that sent him skidding back a foot or two. Thor swung his mighty hammer, striking the demon and sent it crashing to the ground. The stone floor cracked and shuddered underneath him, and Jason felt his heart pound against his ribcage. He was so overwhelmed by everything, so lost and his head swirled—all his thoughts and memories pressed against a foggy window, trying to reach him and get him to see.

" _Oh, Thor Odinson. Forgive me, I had mistaken your for your father,"_ the demon growled, rising to its feet. Yellow eyes glowing with pure hatred at the Thunder God and its claw flexed dangerously.

The God of Thunder's expression twisted. "I feel despite the circumstance that was completely uncalled for," Thor stated, right before he lifted Mjölnir high in the air and lightning gathered around it. The electricity gathered, crackling and snapping wildly, before it surged out in one giant beam as Thor leveled the hammer towards the demon.

The demon released a scream that sounded like a thousand trapped souls.

Jason felt a shiver of disgust roll down his spine, his nails dragged against the stone as his hands curled into fists. He sat there on his knees, and clenched his eyes tightly closed. He could feel something pulse inside of him—a need, a longing to be free, and he felt the dark chains slither underneath his skin. He saw years of memories, of decisions and mistakes that he made that were so alien and unlike him, passed before his eyes like some sick movie that he was forced to watch. He saw the people he cared for most, and how he trampled on them over them as if he didn't care, at all. He saw the people who swore that they knew him best use him like he was a tool and little more than that. His mind felt like it had been plunged into the murky and unfathomable depths of the ocean, so far removed from the noise and light and left to drown. He could feel the moments where he scraped and clawed, kicking up towards the surface. So many times he was almost free, _so_ _close_ to being _free_! Only to be dragged deep back into the darkness, further away from the surface than ever before.

" _Hehehe, you think you can defeat me? You, a weak willed mortal? You were led around on a leash long before I was shoved inside of your head,"_ the demon purred, with sick delight as if picked itself up off of the ground. The creature lumbered forward, turning its attention to Jason and ignoring the stronger opponents. _"I don't see why you defend him. A weakling down to marrow of his bones, he doesn't know the meaning of courage."_

"I refuse to believe my descendant procreated with a coward," Amaryllis sniffed, haughtily. She stepped between Jason and the demon, causing the fiend to refocus upon the Master of Death. "Your words are as hollow as you, soulless creature. You wish to break the freewill in which he has regained to chain him further, or worse to consume his soul. You shall have neither. _Incendio!"_ Amaryllis conjured a burst of blue flames from out of her finger tips and surrounded the demon in a circle. Drawing the palm of her hand up sharply and closed her hand into a fist, the blue fire rushed forward and slammed into the demon. The demon clawed at itself, its unholy screeches reverberating all around them.

The fire slowly dwindled away, and the demon fell to the ground. Injured and near death, it still thrived and Jason knew—knew down into the depths of his heart that no matter how powerful these people were, they couldn't defeat this demon. Not in from this place inside of his mind. If they killed the demon, then he would die, too. He and this demon were connected, and to have one of them destroy the demon would shred his mind to ribs.

"This is ultimately your battle, Jason," Dr. Strange told him, seriously. His blue eyes were intense and serious as he looked down at the man who knelt, trembling under the weight of the demon trying to consume his soul. "You are the one the demon is attached to. We have weakened it, but you have to break the connection if you are to survive. Now, _focus."_

The demon gave a shark like smile, black ooze leaking out between razor sharp fangs. _"How many people have you abandoned, Jason Morgan? How many lives have you up ended because you were a coward? You left all those that you loved, abandoned them with the excuse of danger so you could pretend to be noble. You don't know how to exist without someone controlling him. You need me to survive. You need me to guide you."_

A mountain of regret weighed heavily upon Jason. He had made so many mistakes, and the people he loved paid for them. It ripped up from the inside out that he might not ever earn forgiveness for the wrongs he done. He felt damaged and broken beyond repair, but even if it was all he was, it was better than being a slave to someone else's will. His lifted his icy blue gaze from the ground and stared down the demon with a look so cold that the temperature of this hellish place seemed to drop. "No, I don't," Jason whispered out, a powerful feeling swelled up inside of him at the realization. "I don't need you. I never did."

And the connection snapped.

Jason sagged, a breath of relief surged through him. The pain and fog inside of his mind lifted, and slowly peace ebbed forth from his scarred soul. He shook and trembled, and tears sprung forth in his eyes. "I'm free…I'm free," he whispered, over and over to himself unable to believe it.

The demon hissed, recoiling with an ear-splitting shriek. It slumped to the ground, choking and thrashing. It couldn't live without a connection to a host and before it decided to latch onto Thor or Dr. Strange, Amaryllis stepped forward with power radiating off her that made the demon tremble with fear.

" _Ah, Asher Potter. Or it Amaryllis Black? It's hard to keep up, because you've had so many names."_

Amaryllis glared, her teeth bared in a snarl.

" _The Girl-Who-Lived lived a thousand lives and died a thousand deaths, slinking through time unchanging and watching worlds waste away when you hold the power to save them. You have oceans of blood that you could have prevented from being spilt, and now you deem yourself a savior for one world, for one family?"_ The demon crooned, mocking and spiteful. It's glowing red eyes stared at her hatefully, as she were the bane of its very existence. It knew that it would die, but it would not go quietly. _"What makes them so special to be saved? Is it really them you are trying to save, or yourself? Do you really think you can make up for the evils you have committed? Do they even know your ties to Thanos?"_ The demon chuckled, when Thor gave Amaryllis a sharp look. _"Ah, if Dumbledore could only see where his favorite student is now, he would surely be rolling in his grave."_

"I'm bored now," Amaryllis sneered, waving both her hands sharply.

The demon roared in pain before it shattered into a million fragments, and disintegrated. A blinding white light encompassed the entire room, and next thing Jason knew, they were standing in an old building filled with artifacts and books.

"We should return to Elizabeth's house," Amaryllis commented, the tone of her voice was deceptively idle. Her gaze was shuttered and stoic, when she turned to face the three men in the room. "See what progress has been made with her visions."

"Amaryllis, I respect you," Stephen stated, slowly. "But if you think that we can simply ignore what that demon implied—"

"How do you know, Thanos?" Thor snarled, lightning crackling around his hammer.

Amaryllis stared him down, her gaze unwavering in the face of the godly threat. Jason watched the scene with rapt attention, and something in his gut told him that while Thor would put up a good fight that he was not capable of beating the mysterious woman in front of them. Still her posture relaxed and a sigh slipped out of her mouth, while a hand tunneled through her hair. She looked more human in this moment than ever before. "I have lived so long that good and bad become…inconsequential, after a time. I lost sight of who I was for a great number of years, out of grief and loss. I hollowed myself off and cut out my own heart to keep from feeling anything. I did things that I regret and I can never make up for, but I tried. There is only so long a person can live in apathy until they are jarred back into life and realize the gravity of their actions and the consequences that have followed," Amaryllis replied, her eyes glimmered with tears and she choked on a bitter laugh. Her face was wistful and sorrowful, her eyes cast downward to her hands in her lap. "Thanos was one of the ways that I tried to make up for what I had done. I freed him from slavery as a young adult. He had been enslaved by the Kree, but there was darkness in his heart that could not be erased. A darkness that he used to justify the things he does now in the name of Death, in my name."

"Why? Why would you do that?" Dr. Strange asked, still so shocked by the revelation.

"I felt a mother's pride for him. I saw much of myself in him—the loneliness, the angry, the pain, so I thought by training him as a warrior and teaching him everything he knows that I would help him find purpose. And he did," Amaryllis whispered out, her voice cracked. "He found a terrible, _terrible_ purpose. He sees what he doing as right, as _kind_ by destroying half of civilizations. He feels he is sparing them the pain and agony. I was so foolishly desperate to make some right of something wrong that I allowed myself to be blinded to a fault, until it was too late. By branding Thanos a Champion of Death, my magic recognizes him as one under my protection. I cannot directly harm him, or stop him."

"And that's why you came to Earth," Thor realized, with eyes wide. He lowered Mjölnir to his side, and the lightning disappeared slowly. "You cannot stop Thanos directly, but you want to find people that can."

Amaryllis bit her lower lip, and then nodded. "That is part of the reason. I have ties here on Earth, too. Through the Halliwells and Webbers. I have friends that I have made over time, and Earth no matter what universe is always home to me. It was where I was born originally and I want to protect it," she admitted, with heavy heart. "I distanced myself for so long from people that I lost sight on how important it was to have loyal friends and family to ground me. To remind me that no matter how powerful and old I am, that I have a human heart underneath it all. I can't afford to be indifferent to the suffering of the universe, not when there is something I can do to stop it, especially when I am partly responsible for it."

* * *

The police station was very quiet and subdued, even with Darcy hand cuffed to a desk in the interrogation room. She looked utterly bored and unrepentant, chewing her bubble gum and then blowing a large bubble until it popped to annoy Officer Falconeri who was watching her like a hawk while Officer Ramirez took Sam McCall's statement. Who knew it was apparently illegal to carry the type of taser she did in the State of New York? Well, Darcy did, but she really didn't care. She had received a very special license from SHIELD to be able to carry and use the weapon, given that she had tased a god, several kebbler elves from that invasion in London, and was considered very dangerous by Fury because her strange luck of always slipping out of hairy situation—and no, that wasn't a joke about her previous dating life no matter how accurate it may be.

"Look, I know my tits are great, but can you stop staring? You're giving a girl a complex, and not the good kind," Darcy drawled out, giving Falconeri an unimpressed look. "By the way, you being a police officer and your dad being an alleged mob boss, how does that work out? Isn't that like a big conflict of interests? I mean, he breaks the law, you serve the law—"

"Did you or did you not attack Sam McCall unprovoked?" Dante asked, eyes narrowed.

"Define unprovoked?"

Dante heaved a sigh. "You are in a lot of trouble. Assault with a weapon is a very serious crime."

"My whole existence is one big serious crime," Darcy quipped, with a smirk. "And hypothetically, she was coming to verbal and possibly psychically harass me because she's jealous that Patrick and I were flirting. Given those circumstances, I think a reasonable argument can be made that I acted in self-defense and my lawyers are very, very good. Tony Stark pays for me."

Dante rolled his eyes, a flicker of disbelief on his features. "Look, I don't know what kind of trouble you are trying to stir up, but Sam isn't some jealous ex. She is happy with Jason, and she loves him."

"Right. Uh-uh. It's totally unbelievable that Sam would be jealous and spiteful that some people don't believe the sun doesn't shine out of her ass," Darcy responded, with a mocking tone. "It's not like she hired gunmen to scare away another woman off her ex before, and there were children present, too. It's not like she watched the son of the "love of her life"," Darcy made quotations with her fingers, "get kidnapped and then told the mother of said child they were even because they both lost a child. Oh, wait…hmmm, that's exactly the kind of person she can be when she isn't getting her way."

"I don't know what kind of story—"

"Not story. Facts, actually," Darcy smiled, sharp and vicious. "And I have kept a meticulous file on all the evidence of those crimes and others done by Sam McCall. My cousin may have let bygones be bygones for the sake of peace, but I'm not that forgiving, and I really don't like bullies. Sam's a bully, and she met her match. So go ahead, file those charges and let's see whose teeth have more bite. I already know the answers, but Sam sure don't."

"It that a threat?" Dante asked, heatedly.

"Nope," Darcy chuckled. "It's a mere observation."

Dante huffed, giving Darcy one last dark look before he left the room and Darcy allowed herself to relax once the door shut behind him. "Welp," Darcy said to herself, "you were always a trouble magnet, Darcy Lewis. Just ride it out and everything will be fine. Hopefully."

* * *

Back at the Drake family home, Black Widow and Hawkeye were watching over the kids. The kids were more than a little in awe at having real life superheroes in their house and being babysat by them at that.

" _Is that your bow? Can I hold it? What kind of arrows do you use?"_ Cameron and Jake were in awe of Hawkeye, and asked him so many questions. Emma turned her gaze to the Black Widow, and asked with a steady gaze, _"Can you teach me how to fight?"_

It was actually kind of nice, though Natasha wouldn't openly admit it. She had a soft spot for children, having always imagined she would have one of her own one day when she was little. That was taken from her by the Red Room, the chance to be a mother, but she found ways to fulfill that urge by being a dotting godmother to Clint's kids. And she couldn't deny there was an urge to sweep these children underneath her wing. After an hour of questions and wide eyes, the kids went upstairs to play the new Zelda game. It gave the two heroes a much needed moment of peace.

Natasha sat down on the couch, her green eyes flickered towards Clint Barton who had his arms folded over his chest and a broody expression fixated upon his face. "What the matter, Clint?" she inquired, lightly. "If it is about the trouble that Darcy got herself into, I already called Stark and he already has a lawyer on the way. Not that she'll need it, I have a feeling that Sam McCall will show her true colors soon enough giving Darcy all the ammunition she needs to have the charges dropped."

"It's not about Darcy," Clint said, shaking his head. "It's about Loki."

Natasha frowned. "I know that it isn't ideal situation, but if the world is truly headed for an apocalypse…"

"I can put aside my personal feelings for the bastard to help save the world. That's not the issue, but it was what we overheard at the Webber house before everything went crazy. Well, more crazy than normal," Clint responded, tunneling his fingers through his short hair. "The conversation between Thor and Elizabeth mainly, how she spoke about what happened to Loki's kids. Forced or enslaved to some kind of spell to be monsters, and how Loki tried to get people to believe him and help, only for Odin to steal Thor's memories away because Thor had been willing to do. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

Natasha gave him a long steady look. "Whatever pain Loki has endured doesn't excuse what he attempted to do our world. It doesn't erase all the pain he caused to a lot of people, including you."

"I know that. I'm not trying to excuse him, but…" Clint hesitated, his tongue darted out to wet his dry lips and he made a steeple with his fingers to keep them from fidgeting nervously. "But I think I understand him a bit better."

"Clint…"

"A parent's fear and anger never goes away, Natasha," Clint commented, his jaw growing taut. "If a tenth of what I believe happened to Loki's children had happened to my kids, I honestly can't say that I wouldn't let the world burn if only to get the chance to see them all whole and healthy again. Maybe Loki wanted to bring the end of our world because in some weird and twisted and insane way, he thought that he get his children back."

Natasha's brows furrowed. "Maybe."

"I still don't like him. I never will," Clint said, swallowing thickly. His eyes darted away from her all too scrutinizing gaze. "He _brainwashed_ me—made me hurt people that I didn't want to hurt. But I get it. I don't know what it says that I get it—his anger, his insanity, all the messed up reasons why he tried to conquer our world, but I get it. And that makes it a little easier to move past what happened. Not towards forgiveness because I don't think that's possible, but to where it doesn't control me any longer. If that makes sense, I don't know if does or not."

"It makes perfect sense," Natasha smiled.

Clint grinned, nudging her side with his elbow ever so slightly. If it had been anyone else that done that, they would be dead before the elbow made contact, but him and Natasha had a unique and strong friendship. The front door opened, displacing the easy going move and Patrick walked in. He shut the door and had his jacket half-way off before he noticed the two spies sitting on his couch like they owned his house or something.

"Where's Darcy?" he asked, slowly.

Clint smiled, mirthlessly.

* * *

Monica Quartermain hurried down to police station after a very distressing call from Sam, and when she entered the precinct, she saw Sam sitting there in a chair with a tear stained cheeks. "Oh, Sam, what happened?" the doctor inquired, pulling the shuddering young woman into a hug.

"Elizabeth's bitch of a cousin shocked with me with a tazer. She's been arrested and hopefully charged to the full extent of the law," Sam sniffled, wiping her cheeks dramatically. "I was worried because she was sniffing around Patrick, and I didn't want him to get hurt because he's already been through so much, and this Darcy—if I recall her name—she doesn't look like a nice girl."

"If she is anything like Elizabeth, she isn't," Monica commented, dryly. She glanced around the room, a deep frown settled on her features. "Where is Jason? Shouldn't he be here for you? You are his wife, after all."

"I couldn't get ahold of him," Sam admitted, still very angered by that. It made a lot of dark thoughts swirl around inside of her head, and she was very suspicious that she knew exactly where Jason was. "I am afraid that he is with Elizabeth. He has been defending her, and won't hear a bad thing about her, and I'm afraid she is trying to sink her claws into Jason again."

"Okay. This is…so wrong," Monica said, her voice cracking with anger. The older woman claimed the seat beside Sam, her hands folding into her lap. "He knows how you feel about that woman…" She shook her head, and let out a loud sigh. "I'm sorry, Sam. I can't even imagine how you feel right now. I mean, Elizabeth of all people—"

"Elizabeth has always had this hold on Jason. She's used every dirty trick in the book, and he is so blinded to who she really is. He and I should be rebuilding our marriage, and instead he is defending the Purity Princess because of she managed to pop out a baby that is his," Sam stated, with anger and pain in her voice. She watched Monica looked thunderous, and bit back a smirk. It was so easy to stir people up against Elizabeth, and she didn't have to get her hands dirty, letting other people drive the mousy brunette away. "He swears that there was nothing between him, or Elizabeth other than friendship," she stammered, letting her eyes swell up with crocodile tears. She twisted her hands together, as if nervous and anxious. "I'm always worried about Jake."

"Why?" Monica said, her eyes narrowed.

"If what I heard was right, Elizabeth is somehow involved with that monstrous madman that terrorized New York a few months back," Sam informed, not even ashamed that she was indirectly using the children to hurt Elizabeth. In fact, in Sam's eyes it was poetic justice for Elizabeth to lose her kids since the nurse always waxed poetry about how everything she did was for her children. "I mean, perhaps I was mistaken, but it seemed to me that Elizabeth is in something dangerous, and those poor boys don't deserve to be dragged into whatever mess she has dived into now. I don't know what to do."

Monica straightened her spine, and a righteous fury erupted across her face. "Well, well," the older woman said, nostrils flaring wide. "That cannot be allowed to happen."

* * *

At the Webber household, the potion crewed on a small cast iron cauldron on a burner in the kitchen. It bubbled and boiled ominously while Piper dropped the last bit of ingredient into the pot. "It should be done in ten minute tops," Piper informed Elizabeth, who stood there nervously. "I take you haven't done the whole wiccan thing before, have you?"

Elizabeth laughed, lightly. "Up until a few months ago when I started getting weird visions, I didn't even know that magic was really a thing so no, I haven't ever done the wiccan thing, but you all seem all used to all this chaos."

"Oh, boy, you have no idea," Piper chuckled. "But we weren't always used to it. Our mother sealed away our powers to give us a normal childhood, and it wasn't until we were adults that we accidentally unbound them and got thrust head first into the magic world. And let me tell you, it isn't all full of wonders. But…" she trailed off, her eyes darted away for a long moment of silence. "But it is who we are. It's in our blood. I don't think I could imagine my life without it, even if it gets tough and hard at times. Fighting against the force of evil, knowing that what we do saves lives even if we don't get a "thank you" card at the end of the day, makes it all worth it somehow."

"I can't imagine how you do it. I have trouble juggling my hospital schedule and my two boys, let alone adding fighting evil forces on a daily basis," Elizabeth said, brushing her hair out of face.

"I know what you mean," Piper grinned. "I have two boys, myself with my husband. It becomes a whole circus act, trying to figure out how to make things work."

"But you do it anyways," Elizabeth added, feeling a kinship with Piper, "because you love them and while it hurts to try, it would hurt worse if you gave up."

"Yes. I have to remind myself of that sometimes," Piper admitted, wringing her hands together. "There was a time when Leo and I called it quits. It was a time when love didn't seem to be enough, but we managed to find our way back together. It was a struggle, but I realized that there are just people that are worth it. You have to find out who is worth it to you."

Elizabeth felt her heart tightened in her chest. There had been several times when she had people in her life who were worth the struggle, and some many times, those people decided she wasn't worth it and left her life without a single glance back. There were a lot of questions swirling inside of her right now. And what did it mean that a demon was responsible for Jason's behavior? She cared for Jason deeply, and while he wasn't entirely himself, those things still had an impact on her and their relationship. She couldn't just wash it away, but she wouldn't hold him responsible for it either. She would salvage their friendship, if he was amendable but she honestly couldn't see herself getting involved with romantically as it stood. He would have a wealth of issues to deal with.

Also what about Loki? She couldn't deny the strange connection she had with the Trickster. It went beyond friendship and ventured into territory that left her a little more than breathless for a great number of reasons. Part of her wanted to be daring and explore this fragile thing, but she reminded herself that they were literally facing a possible apocalypse so her dating life just needed to be tossed to the backburner.

"Maybe one day, I will," Elizabeth replied, with a small smile.

In the living room, Phoebe gasped and jumped like she had been struck with a cattle prod. She swayed on her feet, her eyes fluttering wildly and out of her control while magic sparked in the surrounding her unseen to the naked eye. Loki watched the scene with a frown, unsure of what was happening to the witch woman when suddenly she gasped and her eyes flew open.

"A vision. A bad one," Phoebe whispered out, eyes clenched tightly closed. Her throat convulsed and a shudder rushed through her. She shook her head to dispel the linger effect of the vision, and turned towards her red headed sister. "Paige, we need to return to the manor. We are going to need a spell out of the book of shadows. Piper, you stay here and finish up the potion. Loki, can just…" She waved her hand at the Trickster. "Just stand there and look pretty."

"I beg your pardon," Loki raised a brow.

"And you can have it. No begging necessary." Phoebe placed the palm into Paige's, so she could travel alongside half the white-lighter, half with via her orbing ability. The orbs started to light up around them before Phoebe cried out, "Oh, wait! Wait!"

Paige sighed, her shoulders dropped. "What now?"

"Don't give me that look. It's important," Phoebe said, with a pointed look at her younger sibling. The advice columnist glanced towards Loki with a saccharine smile, and without a bit of regret in her features. "You should tell Elizabeth about the mark on her wrist and that it means that you two are soul mates."

Loki opened his mouth to snap at Phoebe when the sound of glass shattering drew everyone's eyes to Elizabeth who stood there, mouth agape and blanched white with shock.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Phoebe said, with mock surprise coloring her features. If it wasn't for the smirk that twitched at the corner of her mouth while her hazel eyes flickered towards the Trickster, her act would have been entirely convincing. "I didn't realize you were standing there. I suppose we should go and give you two the time to talk. You have a lot to discuss, after all."

"You meddlesome witch!" Loki roared, pointing an accusing finger at her. His magical swirled around him, wild and volatile.

"Be grateful for the push," Phoebe snapped back, undaunted by his fury. "If you were left to tell her what was going on it would have taken two centuries at the very least to finally get around to it. We'll be back later. Yell at me then."

Paige and Phoebe disappeared in a shower of bright light and shining orbs, leaving Elizabeth and Loki standing there awkwardly. Piper looked between the two, and slowly took a step back. "I'm just going to," she jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, and smiled hesitantly, "bottle the rest of the potion given that, uh, the first vial is now all over the ground. You two have fun with figuring the whole soul mate issue out. Alright? Alright."

And with that Piper left the room.

Elizabeth still shell-shocked stood there, transfixed which only added to the increasing tension brewing inside of Loki who looked like a human version of grumpy cat, if one would be so bold to make such a comparison. The tension rose with each second that ticked away on the clock, the house seemed to have been consumed by silence and the two of them just stood there, staring at each other as willing the other two speak first.

Elizabeth was the first to break.

"I asked you about the mark."

"Elizabeth—"

"I asked you about the mark years ago shortly after we first met, and you _lied_ telling me you knew nothing about," she told him, her voice raw with anger.

"I lie to everyone," Loki huffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

"Oh, so that makes it okay?" Elizabeth glared.

Loki hissed through his clenched teeth, color swept up in his cheeks. He gave her a look, one filled with pain, exhaustion and a fear—the fear of walls crashing down and leaving him most vulnerable.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Elizabeth asked, eyes flashing with anger and disbelief. She struggled for her composure, so many emotions battling across her features and her hands trembled at her sides like she was tempted to grab the nearest thing and smack him with it. "Did you think that I wouldn't believe you? Or that I would—"

"You were a child, Elizabeth. You were so young and naïve, and I…I couldn't allow yourself to tether your life to mine when you hadn't had a chance to explore all there was for you're here on earth," Loki finally responded, his blue eyes earnest. He ambled slowly towards the couch, and sank gracelessly onto the cushion. Despair draped along him like a funeral veil, and he, the silver-tongue devil, had trouble with his words. He wanted to explain himself and take away the pain that he caused, but felt at a loss on how to do so. "You had so many paths you could choose, so many choices in your life that it would have been cruel to clip your wings and limit you just so I could have my happiness."

"But if this mark I was born with means we are soul mates, doesn't that mean we were fated to be together?" Elizabeth asked, her face twisted up in agonized confusion.

"Soul mates markings…they give two souls their best capability for happiness, but not their _only_ chance for happiness. Surely, you can understand that I am not the only one in this universe that can make you happy. You have been in love before, you have two beautiful children that are proof of that," Loki explained, with a haggard look on his face. His shoulders slumped, and he ran his palms down the length of his face before he turned his head towards her when she sat down beside him on the couch. "Even if Fate be a factor in our lives and controls some things, we still have the freewill of choice to dictate others. And I would much rather be a choice, than a fateful obligation, wouldn't you?"

Understanding washed over Elizabeth, it was both painful and relieving like a flash of fire burning the skin, followed swiftly by the balm to ease the ache. She knew the fear of being an obligation only, to feel like someone she loved never really chose her and her fierce expression crumbled. She reached out with one hand to cup his jawline. "Oh, Loki," she whispered out, her heart felt like it was wedged painfully in her throat. She could feel the burn of tears swell up in her eyes, and all she wanted to do was pull him into her arms. "That's why Odin made you forget about me. He hates humans from what Darcy has told me. He would never allow you to be with me, or for me to choose you."

He leaned his head into her touch, his eyes fluttered close. "I didn't keep the truth about the marks a secret to harm you, and it shames to realize that regardless of those intentions, you are still hurt. I don't ask for forgiveness, just understanding,"

"You already have that," Elizabeth said, giving him a watery smile. "And you have my forgiveness, too. I don't like it that you kept something so big and important about my life from me, but I would be a hypocrite to punish you for trying to protect someone you care for." She reached up, tucking his hair behind his ear and then allowed her hand to drop down. His hand grasped hers, and their fingers entwined. "I have lied about things to protect people I love, too. They may not have been the smartest decisions I have ever made, but I hope that the people that were closest to me know that I had the best of intentions, even if it resulted in the worst scenarios. And I can't change who I have been or what I did years ago; only take it a day at a time to push myself to do better. I believe that you, too, want to do better."

Loki breathed, shakily. "I do."

Elizabeth smiled, softly. "I can't tell you that I will fall in love with you, or give you promises just based on these marks we both share. But I can tell you that you are an important piece of my life, and that I have missed you. I want you in my life, and I don't if that is friendship or something more down the line. I just you back, so I'm not letting go," she promised, leaning her head against his shoulder. There was so much she was feeling inside. It was as soon as she got the ground steady beneath her feet, the world was flipped upside down again, but it wasn't scary terrifying. It was exhilarating in a way that made her feel alive and real, something she hadn't felt like in a long time. "Come whatever may."

Loki twisted his neck, so that he could press a kiss to her temple. "I promise there is no force in this world that could make me leave without a fight. If I had my way, I would always be in your life, ready to stand at your side to face the trials that come and help shoulder your burdens."

A loud crack caused the pair to jolt as if they had been shocked, and Elizabeth placed a hand over her head, collapsing back on the couch when she saw it was just Amaryllis and Thor. "Where's Jason and your magician friend?" She asked, with a hint of concern.

"Stephen is giving Jason a thorough checkup to make sure there is no more lingering physical health that he has to worry about, given that the demon had put quite a strain on his body," relayed Amaryllis, with a clinical detachment. "He'll drop him off at his penthouse once he is good, but it would do Mr. Morgan a world of good to visit professional therapists. Not here in this nosy cesspool. Out of state, perhaps even out of country given how pesky vultures in these parts can be."

"Did you just call Sam a vulture?" Elizabeth asked, releasing a startled laugh.

"No, I was talking about the blond harpy," Amaryllis replied, without batting an eye. "If I were to speak of Sam McCall, I would compare her to something more like a bed bug."

Elizabeth really tried not to, but she ended up laughing uproariously at Amaryllis blunt and brutal opinion of the women who felt like they owned Jason. "Oh, oh, I shouldn't laugh. That isn't nice," the nurse said, hiding her smile behind her hand. "I'm sorry."

"From what Lady Darcy has told me of this Sam McCall's exploits, I would say it is far to see the similarities to a bed bug," Thor commented, . "I am not against one having an active love life, nor enjoying the pleasure of the flesh as I have had my fair share of such conquests throughout my life. However, it seems Sam McCall uses her charms—"

"What little there is," Loki muttered, underneath his breath.

"To entrap men, or as a weapon to punish a love who has scorned her. It is degrading, not only to those that she chooses to play with, but also to herself. A person should treasure their body more than just to sell it away," the God of Thunder continued, shaking his head side to side.

Elizabeth made a face. "When you say it like that, it makes me sad for her and kind of makes feel worse for laughing at the bed bug comment."

"It is saddening that some people are so jaded that they have to contort themselves into what is pleasing for the object of their desire, and then to start over when their heart finds a new desire. A person is never allowed to just be who they are, only what others want them to be," Amaryllis nodded, ever so slightly. "That being said, given how the woman has treated you over the years without any good reason while ignoring her own hypocrisy, I think you are entitled to a laugh or two at her expense."

"I think she's entitled to more than just a laugh," Thor stated, darkly.

Loki raised a brow and looked at the woman next to him. "Just what all has Sam McCall done to you?" He inquired, lightly. He had heard about the woman and given the way that Elizabeth always grimaced when the name was mentioned, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be pleased to learn the depths of this bad blood.

Elizabeth sighed. "Jason is Jake's father, if you haven't already guessed. Jason and I have a bit of history, we've been friends and we've been more than friends. We had started to grow close over several months' time, both of us in very frustrating situations. I was married to a man named Lucky Spencer. He got addicted to drugs and was cheating and I was struggling to keep things together while Jason was in a relationship with Sam," she explained, tugging at the hem of her shirt carefully. She swallowed a couple of times, before she glanced up at Loki with a sad look. "Sam had gotten hurt, and Jason pushed her away. One night I found Lucky cheating for the third time, and knew my marriage was over. Jason had gone to go win Sam back when he caught her sleeping with Ric Lansing, who was her step-father at the time.

"It hadn't been planned, but I got pregnant. While I will never regret Jake, the whole mess that happened after that night hurt a lot of people and Sam saw me having Jason's baby as a personal slight against her. She did some pretty horrible things to keep me away from Jason, or vice versa. She hired men with guns to terrorize my boys and me at the park. She watched Jake get kidnapped, and kept is a secret while gloating that we were both even because we lost a child," Elizabeth said, her cheeks flushing with anger while she remembered all that Sam had done. "I'm not going to say I wasn't a bitch at times, because Sam always managed to bring out the worst in me, but the wrongs I did paled in comparison to what she did to me and my children."

Loki felt a vein throbbed on his forehead, and he looked absolutely vicious. "How is she still roaming free after all of that?" He demanded, hotly. The Trickster knew his outrage was hypocritical to some degree given all the wrongs that he done. Even if it could be explained by Thanos controlling him like a puppet, he still felt the weight of responsibility for all that had happened because his anger and his hatred had left him open to be so thoroughly manipulated by the Titan. Guilt was bound around him like a sinking stone and he would carry it with him for all of his life, but to hear of someone who from all accounts didn't seem all that perturbed by using children as pawns made him see red.

"Misplaced guilt," Elizabeth replied, sourly. "I let Jason and Lucky talk me out of filing charges, or retaliating against Sam because part of me felt responsible for her pain. It took me years to realize that I wasn't the only person who made a choice that night. That Sam and Lucky had made choices, too, and they weren't some victims to be pitied. I realized that no matter how much pain Sam may have been in, that it didn't justify her actions against me or my kids. I wish I hadn't been so much of a doormat back then."

"You have a good heart," Amaryllis said, her eyes softening when she looked at the brunette. "There is nothing wrong with that. Being capable of mercy is not a bad thing, even if those that you grant it to are undeserving of it. Perhaps, it is best to give to them since it is likely they need it most of all."

"Potion is bottled and ready," Piper announced, sauntering into the room. She gave Loki and Elizabeth a quick smile. "I really tried to wait as long as I could to give you two privacy, but when I heard Thor and Amaryllis' voices, I figured the whole one talk was done with for right now anyways," the eldest of the Charmed Ones said, handing over the vial of bright purple liquid to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth eyed the vial, skeptically. "This is going to be really weird, isn't it?"

"Probably," Piper said, with a sympathetic smile.

"Well, bottoms up," Elizabeth smiled. She glanced at everyone before her gaze lastly fell to Loki, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She closed her eyes tightly, and tossed the potion back like a shot.

And her entire world went dark.

* * *

A shimmering orange portal opened up in a wide circle, and both Jason and Dr. Strange stepped through. Jason was pale and he looked completely shaken, each step forward seemed to take all of his strength. His blue eyes flickered towards his companion, and he arched a pale brown. "Why are you following me?" He questioned, his voice rough and low.

Dr. Strange leveled a look his way out of the corner of his eye. "The demon is gone, but who placed it and controlled you is still likely around. It would have to be someone almost in near constant contact with you," said the sorcerer, with a mild tone of voice. "Who is around you most of the time? Who is most prevalent in your life?"

Jason paused, his hands rested on his hips while his brow furrowed in thought. "Sonny is my boss, and one of my closest friends. Then there's Carly who is my self-proclaimed best friend. Of course, Sam is also a possibility," he responded, resignedly. His pinched the bridge of his nose, and clenched his eyes against the wave of pain that rolled through. "I would have said Spinelli could have been a suspect, but he hasn't been around Port Charles all that much. But I don't see how we will be able to find out. Questioning them won't work."

"We don't have to question them," Strange stated, opening the door to let them out of the supply closet. A subtle wave of his hand gave him the illusion of wearing scrubs like he was one of the doctors that worked here. "This magic is dark. It will leave a taint or some kind of residue on whoever cast it. I'll be able to sense that right away."

Jason caught Dr. Strange by the arm, and stopped him from walking further down the hallway. "There…there something fuzzy in my memory," said the mob enforcer, he lifted his hands up to his temples. There was a throbbing ache there, a nagging feeling that pressed against the back of his eyes that was unrelenting. It was as if he were forgetting something very important. "Before I ended up at Elizabeth's house and apparently shot this Amaryllis character, something happened—something I think that triggered me. I just wished I could remember what it was."

"Jason! Oh, my God, Jason I have been looking for you everywhere," Carly Corinthos shouted, her heels clicked furiously against the tile floor as she marched up towards them. "Michael has been—excuse me, but who are you? Should you be going to do doctor things?" She sent Strange a cold and icy glare.

Dr. Strange returned the glare with full force.

"He's here with me, Carly," Jason chastised her. "Besides, I don't really have time right this moment to deal with whatever crisis you have right now. There are more important things going on."

Carly looked like he had slapped her. "How—how can you say that? I'm your best friend, I have been there for you through so much up and downs. Is this Sam? Is she forcing you to do this whole thing again?"

"This has nothing to do with Sam," Jason snapped. "I have to get to Eli—"

"Tell me, you were not about to say that name. Jason, are you kidding me? No, actually this whole attitude suddenly makes ten times more sense. You are allowing Elizabeth to pull you around again," Carly hissed, her face twisted up in frustration and she made a short gesture with her hand as if to ward any excuses that Jason would give off. "I can't believe you would do this. You have Sam to think about, and your son, Danny. You have been given a miracle, and—"

"Jason," Dr. Strange interrupted, urgently. "You recall the situation we were discussing before interrupted by a blond hurricane."

"Excuse you!" Carly gasped, outraged.

"Yes, I recall our conversation," Jason replied, a sudden foreboding sensation crawling down his spine. His blue eyes fixated back on Carly, regarding her with thinly veiled suspicion and he felt emotions clog his throat. His friendship with Carly hasn't always been the best thing, it had toxic moments but he had always believed that the good outshined that. Looking back on the last few years, he saw that shine slowly fade away and he saw a very ugly picture start to emerge in his memories. Carly along with Sam and Sonny started to take more and more from him, instead of giving that loyalty or devotion back in return. "Are you saying that Carly is—"

"Yes and no," Strange replied, quickly. "She was not the caster of the spell, but she is bond to it some way."

All the blood left Carly's face before she could hide her emotions, but she still tried to conceal the sudden flash of fear. "Spell? What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, her voice going shrill.

Dr. Strange snorted. "Spell, magic, which you have been helping someone dabble in. You can deny it all you want, but," he lifted his hand, the power shimmering from his fingertips, "we both know that it is very real."

"Jason, I don't know—"

"Don't lie to me, Carly," Jason hissed out. "You were involved in putting a demon in my head, and allowing it to hijack my life. It was killing me, Carly! Did you even care about that? Or only that you had a puppet to come running when you called?"

" _Killing_ you?" Carly blanched. "I swear I didn't know that!"

"No, you just didn't care to know," Jason corrected, harshly. "As long as you had your way, you were perfectly content because you thought you had got your way, but it ends here, Carly. If there was any part of you that was ever my friend, you are going to tell me who put them demon in my head and you are going to tell me now."

"Jason, please," Carly begged, with big tears in my eyes, "I can explain."

"I don't want explanations," Jason snapped. "I want answers! Tell me, who was it? Was it Sonny?"

"Sonny was like me, she was duped into believing—"

"So Sonny _was_ a part of this, too."

"Jason, we just wanted you back! We were losing you to Elizabeth—"

"I'm not a fucking prize! I am a person!" Jason shouted, angrily. His voice would have echoed through the halls, if Strange had created a shield to muffle their conversation and keep any nosy busybodies away. "I could have been happy with Elizabeth! I could have raised my son, and you helped poison me just because your ego couldn't take that I put them first and not you! But I don't even have that option anymore, the life I had with Elizabeth is gone!"

"Oh, please," Carly sniffled. "She would spread her legs—"

"Shut the hell up," Jason sneered, darkly. "She isn't you, Carly. She isn't willing to compromise herself for money or a man. And she doesn't trust because all I did while I was underneath the influence of that demon because I let Sam back in my life, because I broke every promise I had made to her, and even if I have a reason for it, it will not erase the pain that of those moments. The only way you can make this a little bit right, is to own up to what you did and tell me who was behind it. Now."

Carly shook her head. "I should have never trusted that bitch. I didn't believe in her bullshit magic, but she saved Michael after he was shot—you remember the warehouse shooting and nothing the doctors could do was making him better—so she proved that magic was real by making him alright. She'll take that away," she said, with tears streaking down her cheeks. Her chin quivered violently, and her eyes staring at Jason like he had completely betrayed her. "She'll hurt Michael, and make him unwell. Is that was you want?"

Jason punched the wall, his fist slammed into it. The loud noise jarred Carly and she leap away from him, eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. He gave her the coldest and most venomous glare that he could create. "Who is it, Carly?" He demanded, tone sharp like a knife.

"It was Sam, okay?" Carly choked out. "It was Sam!"

* * *

END OF CHAPTER!

NEXT CHAPTER: Elizabeth's vision leads her to the Realm of the Dead and the Goddess Hela, but is she friend or foe? Meanwhile, Monica goes after Elizabeth's children, Amaryllis sees that a new "family" member is added into the fold, Jason gets help from the Black Widow and Hawkeye to go after Sam, Sonny and Carly pay dearly for the wrongs they've done, and Loki finally gets to meet Elizabeth's children.

This is a Loki and Liz story! I know that there is some Liason vibes, but that's mostly Elizabeth and Jason acknowledging they can't get back what they once had. Too much has happened to taint that relationship, even if Jason's behavior is explained away by the demon possessing him. I've literally stopped trying to wrap this up. I always say one more chapter, but it doesn't stop growing, so it gets done when it gets done—no chapter limit! Okay, like one or two more chapters. I can't let this grow into a long fic! I just can't! Also I feel like I was possessed by Darcy when writing Loki looking like grumpy cat. The only person in any universe with the guts to make such a metaphor is her. Or it could be the allergy medicine that has me like a zombie just makes me weird.

"I'm bored now"—Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference. Willow Rosenberg when she turned evil said this to Warren before she killed him. It could just be a simple easter egg, or you can take it mean that in one of Amaryllis (or Asher Potter) was Willow in one of her past lives.

RRs are appreciated.


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